the influences of marketing mix attracating...
TRANSCRIPT
THE INFLUENCES OF MARKETING MIX ATTRACATING AUDIENCES TO
VIEW CHINESE FICTON FILMS: A CASE STUDY OF THE SINO FILM
“DYING TO SURVIVE” (2018)
THE INFLUENCES OF MARKETNG MIX ATTRACTING AUDIENCES TO
VIEW CHINESE FICTION FILM: A CASE STUDY OF THE SINO FILM “DYING
TO SURVIVE” (2018)
Bai Chen
This Independent Study Manuscript Presented to
The Graduate School of Bangkok University
in Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
Master of Communication Arts
2019
©2019
Bai Chen
All Rights Reserved
Bai, C. M.Com.Arts, November 2019, Graduate School, Bangkok University.
The Influences of Marketing Mix in Attracting Audiences to View Chinese Fiction
Films: A Case Study of the Sino Film “Dying to Survive” (2018) (141 pp.)
Advisor: Assoc. Prof. Pacharaporn Kesaprakorn, Ph.D.
ABSTRACT
This survey research was chiefly aimed at examining the relationships
between the influences of marketing mix factors on the surveyed Chinese viewers’
overall satisfactions with the film “Dying to Survive” and these audiences’
gratifications obtained from the movie. The study also examined the four main
marketing factors, including product (film), price, place, and promotion of the film. In
addition, the study examined the gratifications obtained in respect to general
information seeking, decision utility, entertainment, interpersonal utility, and para-
social interaction. Two hundred and eight Chinese young and middle-aged grown
Chinese movie viewers who had watched the film in cinema at least once in the year
of 2018 and resided in the three largest Chinese metropolis including Beijing,
Shanghai, and Guangzhou at ordinary times have participated in the survey after
watching the motion picture “Dying to Survive”. The means and standard deviations
were being tabulated and analyzed by One-Way ANOVA and Multiple Regression
with the significance level of 0.05.
The findings uncovered the below results:
1) The finding showed that the influences of marketing mix (4Ps) of the film
can explain their gratifications obtained at the rate of 67.3 (R²=.673, p< .05). The
findings revealed that impacts of product had the highest influences on their
gratifications obtained from watching the film (Beta=.347**, p<.05), followed by
influences of promotions (Beta=.104, p>.05), influences of places (Beta=.050, p>.05),
and influences of prices (Beta=.018, p>.05), respectively.
2) When examining the influence of marketing factors on each dimension of
gratification obtained, the finding revealed that (1) the influences of marketing mix
(4Ps) of the film can explain their gratifications obtained in respect to general
information seeking at the rate of 55.00(R²=.550, p<.05). The influences of all
marketing mix factors can significantly influence Chinese respondents’ gratifications
obtained in respect to general information seeking from watching the film “Dying to
Survive” (F(4,203)=62.025, p<0.05). When examining influences of each factor in the
Coefficient table, the findings revealed that impacts of products had the highest
influences on Chinese respondents’ general information seeking from watching the
film (Beta=.303**, p<.05), followed by influences of promotions (Beta=.072, p>.05),
influences of prices (Beta=.069, p>.05), and influences of places (Beta=.050, p>.05),
respectively. (2) The findings revealed that impacts of products had the highest
influences on their decision utility from watching the film (Beta=.315**, p<.05),
followed by influences of promotions (Beta=.181**, p<.05), influences of places
(Beta=-.032, p>.05), and influences of prices (Beta=.018, p>.05), respectively. (3)
The findings revealed that impacts of products are a significant predictor of
entertainment from watching the film (Beta=.384**, p<.05), however, followed by
influences of promotions (Beta=.079, p>.05), influences of places (Beta=.084, p>.05),
and influences of prices (Beta=-.018, p>.05), respectively. (4) The findings revealed
that impacts of products are a significant predictor of interpersonal utility from
watching the film (Beta=.332**, p<.05), however, followed by influences of
promotions (Beta=.135, p>.05), influences of places (Beta=.057, p>.05), and
influences of prices (Beta=-.029, p>.05), respectively. Lastly, the findings revealed
that impacts of products (Beta=.330**, p<.05) and impacts of promotions
(Beta=.157**, p<.05) are significant predictors of para-social interaction from
watching the film (Beta=330**, p<.05), however, influences of prices (Beta=.084,
p>.05) and influences of places (Beta=-.022, p>.05) are not significant predictors.
Keywords: Marketing Mix, Products, Promotions, Prices, Places, Gratification
Obtained, Sino Narrative Film, Dying To Survive
vii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
To my ultimate completion of the IS, I would like to appreciate my advisor
sincerely, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pacharaporn Kesaprakorn. Because I would not eventually
finalize the independent study without her constantly patient advices and assistances
within over one year. The advisor’s suggestions on my IS enabled me to realize my
inadequacies in knowledges and capabilities in some respects and facilitated me to
resolve on making up my those deficiencies in the future.
Next, I am grateful for some of my friends and classmates whoever reside in
China, Thailand and other countries, because some of them helped me to translate my
English version questionnaire to a Chinese-version one and translate the Chinese-
version one back into a neo-English-version one as well as gave me a few useful
proposals for amending my questionnaire; subsequently, majority of them participated
in my predesigned questionnaire survey for collecting data, whilst minority of them
reminded me of a few issues on sampling supervision in the span of online survey.
Exceptionally, I also thank to some members of my family including my
parents especially during my IS. When I set about writing my IS, they searched out
numerous useful tape scripts for my IS which I couldn’t seek out in Bangkok,
Thailand, particularly in the information of Chinese film. Besides, they provided me
with certain economic and mental supports on my study for Master Degree.
Bai Chen
29/08/2019
viii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
ABSTRACT…………………………………………………………………… iv
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT……………………………………………………... vii
LIST OF TABLES…………………………………………………………….. xi
LIST OF FIGURES……………………………………………………………. xiv
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION…………………………………………… 1
1.1 Rationales and Problem Statements……………………... 1
1.2 Objectives of Study……………………………………… 8
1.3 Scope of Study…………………………………………... 8
1.4 Research Questions……………………………………… 9
1.5 Significance of Study……………………………………. 10
1.6 Definitions of Terms……………………………………... 11
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW……………………………………. 16
2.1 Synthesis of Related Previous Studies………………....... 9
2.2 Roles of Marketing Mix on Films/Cinemas Industries in
New Media….....................................................................
20
2.3 Assumptions of Marketing Mix Theory (4Ps)………..…. 27
2.4 The Concepts of Customer Purchase-Decision Models…. 34
2.5 Customer’s Purchase Behaviors in Films……………….. 37
2.6 Assumptions of Social Exchange Theory………………... 38
2.7 Assumptions of Uses & Gratifications Theory…………... 43
2.8 The Variable Relationship(s) and Hypotheses…………… 45
ix
TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued)
Page
CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOY………………………………. 49
3.1 Research Design (Research Strategy)…………………..... 49
3.2 Research Population and Samples………………………... 49
3.3 Research Instruments……………………………………... 50
3.4 Data Analysis and Interpretations……………………........ 55
3.5 Reliability of Instruments……………………………........ 57
3.6 Data Collection Procedure………………………………... 58
3.7 Data Analysis and Interpretations……................................ 61
3.8 Demographic Profiles of Samples………………………... 63
CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS……………………………………………………. 65
4.1 Summaries of Descriptive Findings…………………........ 65
4.2 Summaries of Hypothesis Testing Findings……………… 78
CHAPTER 5: SUMMARIES AND DISCUSSIONS……………………..…. 93
5.1 Summaries and Discussions of Descriptive Analysis…..... 93
5.2 Summaries and Discussions of the Hypotheses Testing
Findings…………………..……………………………….
101
5.3 Conclusions of Research………………………………..... 113
5.4 Limitations of Study……………………………...………. 117
5.5 Recommendations for Future Applications………………. 120
5.6 Recommendations for Future Researches………………... 121
x
TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued)
Page
BIBLIOGRAPHY…………………………………………………………….… 123
APPENDIX…………………………………………………………………….. 126
BIODATA………………………………………………………………….…… 140
LISCENS AGREEMENT OF INDEPENDENT STUDY……………………… 141
xi
LIST OF TABLES
Page
Table 1.1: The Highest Chinese Box-Office Records from the Year of 2011
to 2017……………………………………………………………
4
Table 2.1: The Subdivision of Conceptual Framework of Cinematic
Marketing Mix (4Ps)……………………………………………..
30
Table 2.2: The Percentages of Box-Office Growth in Chinese Third-Tier,
Fourth-Tier and Fifth-Tier Local Cities in the Year of 2018
Compared to that of Box-Office Increments in those Sino Local
Small Cities in the Year of 2017………………………………….
33
Table 3.1: Levels of Information Measurements and Criteria……………… 51
Table 3.2: Dimensions of Gratifications Obtained for the Film…………….. 54
Table 3.3: Statements Measuring Each Dimension of Gratification
Obtained from the Movie………………………………………...
54
Table 3.4: Criteria for Interpretations on the Influences of 4Ps…………….. 56
Table 3.5: Criteria for Interpretations on the Gratifications Obtained from
Watching the Film “Dying to Survive”…………………………..
56
Table 3.6: Cronbach’s Alpha Formula……………………………………… 57
Table 3.7: Reliability Tests of the Questionnaire…………………………… 58
Table 3.8: Demographic Profiles of Samples Based on Gender……………. 63
Table 3.9: Demographic Profiles of Samples Based on Age……………….. 64
Table 3.10: Demographic Profiles of Samples Based on Cities They Lived… 64
xii
LIST OF TABLES (Continued)
Page
Table 4.2: Means and Standard Deviations of Marketing Mix (4Ps) of the
Film……………………………………………………………….
66
Table 4.3: Means and Standard Deviations of Product……………………... 67
Table 4.4: Means and Standard Deviations of Prices……………………….. 69
Table 4.5: Means and Standard Deviations of Places /Distributions………... 69
Table 4.6: Means and Standard Deviations of Promotions…………………. 70
Table 4.7: Criteria for Interpretations on the Gratifications Obtained from
Watching the Film “Dying to Survive”…………………………..
72
Table 4.8: Means and Standard Deviations of Gratifications Obtained from
Viewing the Film “Dying to Survive”……………………………
73
Table 4.9: Means and Standard Deviations of Gratifications Obtained from
Viewing the Film Based on General Information Seeking……….
74
Table 4.10: Means and Standard Deviations of Gratifications Obtained from
Viewing the Film Based on Decision Utility……………………..
75
Table 4.11: Means and Standard Deviations of Gratifications Obtained from
Viewing the Film Based on Interpersonal Utility………………...
76
Table 4.12: Means and Standard Deviations of Gratifications Obtained from
Viewing the Film Based on Entertainment……………………….
77
Table 4.13: Means and Standard Deviations of Gratifications Obtained from
Viewing the Film Based on Para-social Interaction……………...
78
xiii
LIST OF TABLES (Continued)
Page
Table 4.14: Regression Analysis on the Influences of Marketing Mix (4Ps)
on the Gratifications Obtained from Watching the Film…………
80
Table 4.15: Regression Analysis on the Influences of Marketing Mix (4Ps)
on the Gratifications Obtained in Respect to General Information
Seeking from Watching the Film………………………………...
82
Table 4.16: Regression Analysis on the Influences of Marketing Mix (4Ps)
on the Gratifications Obtained in Respect to Utility Decision
from Watching the Film………………………………………….
85
Table 4.17: Regression Analysis on the Influences of Marketing Mix (4Ps)
on the Gratifications Obtained in Respect to Entertainment from
Watching the Film………………………………………………..
87
Table 4.18: Regression Analysis on the Influences of Marketing Mix (4Ps)
on the Gratifications Obtained in Respect to Interpersonal Utility
from Watching the Film………………………………………….
89
Table 4.19: Regression Analysis on the Influences of Marketing Mix (4Ps)
on the Gratifications Obtained in Respect to Para-social
Interaction from Watching the Film……………………………...
91
xiv
LIST OF FIGURES
Page
Figure 2.1: The Rudimentary Conceptual Framework of Filmic Marketing
mix (4P)…………………………………………………………..
30
Figure 2.2: The Indicator Diagrams of the Purchase Process…………......... 34
Figure 2.3: The Purchasing Decision Model……………………………….... 35
Figure 2.4: The Flow Chart of the Hypothetical Variable Relationships
(Theoretical Framework)…………………………………………
45
Figure 2.5: The Breakdown Structure of “Public Appraisals” (Non-
Marketing and Actual)……………………………………………
46
Figure 2.6: The Inextricable Ties (or Mutual Transformation) between
Online Evaluations and Words of Mouths…………………..........
46
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Rationales and Problem Statements
Marketing communications played a significant role in promoting viewers’
awareness about artistic films’ productions, including characterizations, shooting
process, storytelling elements, etc., generating sale volume of film makings.
Attractions of a film, thus, require effective marketing communications that gratify
needs of extensive targeting audiences nowadays. Furthermore, film marketing, on the
one hand, refers to marketing activities carried out by enterprises via implanting
advertisements and sponsorships into films’ scenes, scenarios, stage properties, lines
and trailers; on the other hand, it was also purely defined as marketing of a film per se,
specifically, in shooting and production process, a film needs to be positioned and
operated in the light of marketing ideas. Which the researcher concentrates on is the
second hand. Moreover, de facto, marketing communication is an important segment
of marketing capacities. Therefore, releasing Chinese indigenous films for Sino
filmmakers can’t evade the subject of marketing communications. Definitely,
―marketing communications are the means by which firms attempt to inform,
persuade, and remind consumers-directly or indirectly--about the brands they sell. In a
sense, marketing communications represent the voice of the brand and are a means by
which the brand can establish a dialogue and build relationship with consumers.
2
Although advertising is often a central element of a marketing communication, it is
usually not the only element--or even the most important one--for building brand
equity.‖ (Keller, 2013, p. 218). As is well-known, the most basic and common
marketing management framework 4Ps (Product, Price, Place, Promotion), is
identically the most leading theoretical framework used for marketing
communications. Particularly, filmic marketing communications mainly rely on
marketable interactions, cooperation and coordination amongst filmmaking teams,
cinematic investment companies, filmic publicities and distribution companies, with
cinema lines, as well as far-raging socially promotional communications between
those above-mentioned filmic organizations and mainstream movie spectators.
Engagements of various types of filmic companies or corporations contribute to
building the brand equities of them per se and each film, directors, performers they
promote or support, as well as to earning higher box office revenues than formerly by
virtue of every film they jointly create and launch. Moreover, film studios are actuated
by profits, typically in synchronous charge of investing on and distributing movie
productions, hence they predestinate to attach great importance to cinematic
marketing strategies and campaigns (Cheng, 2014, p. 6).
In another aspect, box office is a kind of benchmark principally measuring a
film’s marketing performances and popularity influences along with partially
reflecting its crowd-pleasing extent in content quality and technological level.
Ordinarily, if a Sino story film’s contents verge on average Chinese people’s life
3
realities and resonates with Sino audiences, as well as its special effects technologies
(filmic visual effect) are exceedingly innovative or idiosyncratic, it will have access to
rank the first in the Chinese box office, to a large extent; such as these Sino feature
films that are the top one listed in box office in each year (from the year of 2011 to
2017): ―The Flowers of War‖ (2011), ―Lost in Thailand‖ (2012), ―Journey to the West:
Conquering the Demons‖ (2013), ―Breakup Buddies‖ (2014), ―The Monster Hunt‖
(2015), ―Mermaid‖ (2016), and ―Wolf Warrior 2‖ (2017).
On the whole, each element pertaining to every requisite sides (i.e.4Ps) of
marketing communications mix is conducive to higher cinematic box-office earnings,
to different extents. Past studies found that greater viewers’ awareness tends to
generate greater sales (Dodds & Holbrook, 1988; Liu, 2006, p. 77, as cited in
Mohammadian & Habibi, 2012) assessed sways of Academy Awards on film incomes
and found great influences of optimal pictures, and best actor/actress awards on
post-award proceeds (Eliashberg & Shugan, 1997, p. 69 as cited in Mohammadian &
Habibi, 2012, p. 101); exceptionally, ―Newspaper and magazine reviews are critical
for box offices of up-market films aimed at sophisticated audiences. Television and
radio reviews are influential to a lesser extent‖ (Marich, 2009, p. 218, as cited in
Cheng, 2014, p. 31). Moreover, notably, through aright or fitting marketing to
individual audience, a company may economize unnecessary expenses worth about
millions of dollars and retrieve untold harms for brand reputations from a box-office
fiasco (Cheng, 2014, p. 11).
4
Table 1.1: The Highest Chinese Box-Office Records from the Year of 2011 to 2017
Years (2011-2017) The Box-office Champion The Box Office
Revenues (¥ billion)
2011 ―The Flowers of War‖ 0.61
2012 ―Lost in Thailand‖ 1.26
2013 ―Journey to the West: Conquering
the Demons‖
1.246
2014 ―Breakup Buddies‖ 1.169
2015 ―The Monster Hunt‖ 2.439
2016 ―Mermaid‖ 3.39
2017 ―Wolf Warrior 2‖ 5.26
Notably, by the end of July in the year of 2018, the box office earnings of
Chinese story movie ―Dying to Survive‖ (also known as ―Drug Dealer‖, directed by a
well-known Sino director and actor, Mr. Xu Zheng) had skyrocketed into ¥3.062
billion. This film has become the 5th one whose box office receipts have ever
outnumbered ¥3 billion since sliced bread. The plots in the film portrayed that a
Chinese pharmacist purchased large-batch low-cost anticancer generic medicines
from India for impoverished Sino patients suffering chronic-phase chronic
myelogenous leukemia (CML), hereby incurring unjust judgements in line with
nationally criminal laws in court, and deeply manifests facticity, profundity,
complicacy, and tortuosity of the games between individuals and public authority,
thus it vastly shocked and affected most Chinese audiences, much less, under
5
combined actions of ever increasing online sky-high evaluations and enthusiastic
words-of-mouths coming from the movie spectators. The story film ―Dying to Survive‖
ultimately won the champion in terms of ―words-of-mouths‖ amongst every Sino
indigenous movie whose box office returns surpassed ¥3billion throughout history of
Chinese movies. Therefore, the researcher chose this film as the case study and aimed
to examine the marketing communication factors that significantly influence viewers’
overall satisfactions from watching the film (instead of departed widely researched
customers’ purchase behaviors) and how these factors correlated with their uses and
gratifications for media consumptions.
With references to the field of marketing communications mix especially in
new media environment surrounding Chinese or other countries’ films (especially
Sino feature films), several previous studies quoted, found or concluded some
pertinent standpoints, perspectives and opinions that worth pondering upon and
learning from therein.
Cao (2016, p. 50) discussed the Hollywood cinematic market and how
foreign films enter into this market. He narrated ―…it is very hard for films from other
countries which want to enter Hollywood market. There are not so many foreign
movies can get achievements in Hollywood. Therefore, when foreign films want to
enter Hollywood, they must have right strategies and positioning themselves, because
some kinds of films have repetitions with each other and some films are the advantage
of Hollywood, such as gun-fighting and fast car films. This situation makes a lot of
6
countries to think about, because of the reason that many people want to improve the
awareness of the film and earn more money outside the motherland.‖ The example he
posed reminds us of importance of understanding developed foreign filmic markets as
well as developing one country’s own mature and effective filmic marketing strategies
both. The later, as Cao talked about the subject of how Sino films exploit oversea
market, he summarized that ―…Chinese films should open the foreign market and let
people know Chinese films, but actually, not every kind of film can leave a deep
impression for the audience. Because for films, there are only these kinds that means
each country can make these kinds of movies. If the situation is like this, for some
countries which have powerful abilities in film industry may have some advantages in
making films. And Hollywood has obvious advantages in making films. Thus, for
Chinese films, they should find their own advantages, not the same thing with other
countries…‖
Xu (2014, p. 404) had proposed that ―well-spoken filmic cultural products
combined with rigorous and meticulous marketing plans, will be successfully released
into market so as to make considerable profits eventually. Accompanied with new
media’s world-wide popularity and penetration, film making is veering into an era of
comprehensive interactions with audiences…‖
―Bloore’s (2009, as cited in Kehoe & Mateer, 2015) study challenged
long-held perceptions of customer identity and sets them within the context of the
present Internet environment where film bloggers, social networking, and other movie
7
opinion sites can either make or break a film. He identifies active audience consumers
as fulfilling two key value-related functions: The first is purchasing the product and
allowing financial value to return down the chain (customer consumption); the second,
is that the long-term ―library‖ value and reputation of the film is highly influenced by
the response of both the general audience in driving word-of-mouth through social
networks and as critical voices (Bloore, 2009, p. 11, as cited in Kehoe & Mateer,
2015).‖ ―The impact of digital technology on distributions and consumptions value
chain activities is transitioning the independent market from supply-led to demand-led.
But it is not just the technology that is challenging the value chain since few
technologies are intrinsically disruptive. Rather, it is the business models that these
technologies enable that create the disruptive impact (Ferrer-Roca, 2014, p. 19, as
cited in Kehoe & Mateer, 2015). As new business strategies are adopted, the market
may evolve in two directions: one for independent distributors based around
multiplatform releases, the other for Hollywood studios that continue to use models
centered on traditional mechanisms.‖ (Kehoe & Mateer, 2015)
Now that releases and projections of modern movies haven’t been able to
break away relevant cinematic marketing campaigns hitherto, researchers sought to
probe into what extent to which various marketing communication factors will attract
viewers to view new films or roughly satisfy them and how marketing communicative
factors gratify needs of viewers toward a new film particularly in spiritual levels. All
in all, marketing communications mix for film industry have been turned out to be
8
effective catalysts with regards to creating high box-office profits and reversing once
decline of box-office revenues.
1.2 Objectives of Study
1.2.1 To examine the perceptions of the influences of marketing mix factors
promoting the film ―Dying to Survive‖.
1.2.2 To examine the gratifications obtained from viewing the film ―Dying to
Survive‖.
1.2.3 To examine the influences of Chinese viewers’ perceptions of marketing
mix factors on their gratifications obtained from the film.
1.3 Scope of Study
The researcher will purposively select 208 respondents residing in the three
largest Chinese metropolis such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, who had
viewed the Sino fiction film ―Dying to Survive‖ at least once in cinema and whose
age bracket is older than 20 years old. The researcher essentially adopted a
convenience sampling way (ascribed into non-probability sampling methods) for
selecting comparatively representative samples. It is foreseeable that, most Chinese
young adults living in the three biggest metropolis including Beijing, Shanghai and
Guangzhou, in this age group, comprehend current Chinese medical situations
mirrored in this film, as well as possess definite abilities of analyzing narrative
9
movies to a certain degree at least.
There are two basic variables including surveyed viewers’ perceptions on the
influences of film’s marketing communication mix (4Ps) and their gratifications
obtained for media consumptions on the film in this study. These two variables
constitute the single panel of variable relationship that are about to be explicitly
illustrated in next chapter. In whichever large and powerful country or region
concerning films in the world such as China, U.S.A., Europe, Russia, Japan, S. Korea,
India, and Iran, etc., filmic consumers increasingly recognize the functions of the four
basic factors of marketing communication mix (products, prices, places, &
promotions), simultaneously, whereby their purchase decisions on film have been
increasingly swayed by their perceptions of marketing factors mix of the film. Even
movie spectators’ gratifications after viewing films at many times were likely to be
associated with the impacts of marketing communication factors mix directly or
indirectly, deeply or shallowly, and their words of mouths regarding a launched film
will probably conduce to promote box-office revenues of the film during public shows
of the new movie.
1.4 Research Questions
1.4.1 How do the Chinese viewers perceive the influence of marketing mix
factors (including product, price, place, and promotion) in promoting the film ―Dying
to Survive‖?
10
1.4.2 What is the level of Chinese viewers’ gratification obtained from
viewing the film ―Dying to Survive‖ in relations to information seeking, utility
decision, interpersonal utility, entertainment, and para-social interaction?
1.4.3 To examine the influence of Chinese viewers’ perception of marketing
mix factors on their gratification obtained from the film.
1.5 Significance of Study
Previous related researches and literatures rarely applied communication
theories to examine communications and interactions amongst Sino feature films,
Sino movie market and local broad audiences in China and other Asian countries. This
study principally employed communication theories (including the marketing
communication theory and a few other classic academic communication theories)
instead of any professional filmic theories to research on filmic factors of marketing
mix affecting consumers’ initial general satisfactory levels on a new film and their
subsequent gratifications obtained. However, the most primary significances of the
study are as below:
5.1.1 To film industry per se, the study will explicitly indicate that which
movie marketing communication factors mix (4Ps) more deserve filmic production
and marketing teams’ genuine emphasis and efforts on; the study also conveys another
significant idea for film industry, which is that a latest produced fiction film that is
supposed to earn good reputations and high box-office revenues had better primarily
11
gratify consumers’ stratified psychological or psychic needs. In other words, so long
as moviegoers’ sensory and spiritual harvests from a new movie surpass their
monetary consumptions on this new motion picture, this movie is probably a
successful one for the production and marketing teams of the movie. This cognition
ought to become an eternally veritable criterion measuring successful films.
5.1.2 This study may generate some new significant conclusions or
deductions on explorations of essential & particular filmic marketing communication
patterns or regularities and more effective & economical interaction modes between
films & audiences.
5.1.3 Meanwhile, this study will be significant for inspiring filmic workers,
producers and marketers to prosper economy of filmic industry for a country.
In a nut shell, it is about to offer reliable and valuable research conclusions
that facilitate futuristic original filmic works as well as cinematic productions and
marketing managements to be better accomplished.
1.6 Definitions of Terms
There are definitions of key terms frequently used as below:
1.6.1 Chinese Story films: firstly, Story films, aka, feature films, fiction films,
drama films, or narrative films, denotes a sort of motion pictures based on specific
scenarios and character roles, so this type of films tend to link inextricably to related
scripts. Thus, makers of story films often reckon that an excellent script is a nice and
12
deep-set foundation of a successful feature film. Moreover, story films are also
distinctive from documentary films, newsreels, or musical videos. Then Chinese story
films are just feature ones created, produced and released by Sino indigenous filmic
creative and marketing teams, whose plot contents are created and recomposed on the
basis of legendary stories spread and true incidents occurred in China or pertaining to
China.
1.6.2 Marketing Mix: The marketing mix refers to a business tool used by
marketers in marketing management. It is an often crucial foundation model when
determining a product or brand's offerings, which was also basically known as the 4Ps
theory firstly posed by McCarthy (1960) in early stage, incorporating the 4 concepts
of price, product, promotion, and place. In the marketing field of service industry,
however, this 4Ps theory had been expanded to 7Ps used to address different natures
of services. Afterwards, service marketers occasionally progressed into a span-new
8Ps theory through combining the concept of performance with the 7Ps theory.
However, owing to objectively conditional restrictions existing in this case
study, merely basic model of 4Ps can be applied into the research, still less, every
factors in 4Ps have sufficed to be used for explaining the influences of the cinematic
marketing situations embodied in the case study.
For the case study of the film ―Dying to Survive‖, the researcher will adopt
the theoretical framework of 4Ps to measure the marketing communications of the
movie to research on some questions. First of all, with reference to the first key
13
element, product, in accordance with the realistic situation of the film, the content
quality, technologies, director, producers and celebrity performers are salient kernels
about the first marketing factor as the ―product‖ for the film. In addition, the two
marketing factors ―place‖ and ―price‖ are at times the factors that exert most crucial
roles in filmic marketing campaigns; nevertheless, there might be no distinct
prominence of the two factors in some else previous case studies on filmic marketing
mix. Additionally, referring to promotions, cinematic marketers coming from multiple
marketing companies often adopt branding integrated promotion, which is an
imperative part of the complete program marketing for launching the film.
1.6.3 Marketing Communications refer to diverse marketing channels and
tools in composition: marketing communication channels focus on any mode by
which a business communicates a message to its targeted market, or a monolithic one.
A marketing communication tool can be anyone of advertising, private selling, direct
marketing, sponsorship, branding, communication, promotion and public relations,
etc.
1.6.4 Customers’ Decisions to Watch Films: It denotes that definite
determinations made by moviegoers to enter which specific cinema and purchase
relevant cinema tickets on which specific film.
1.6.5 Box Office means the overall accumulated incomes of a film in the
course of its screening, aka ―gross‖, which is used to describe how successful a film,
play, or actor is, by right of the number of people who pay to see them.
14
1.6.6 Online Evaluations (on cinema) refer to the verbal assessments and
grades (marks) online from audiences including professional motion picture workers
or operators (including actors/actresses, directors, film producers, cameramen,
lighting engineers, sound engineers, dressers, costumers, prop masters, and film
cutters, etc.) and critics’ objective, professional, even academic analysis and
evaluations uploaded to internets, as well as amateurish movie buffs, that are all
diffused on web, videlicet, audiences’ online feedbacks (on films).
1.6.7 Words of Mouths (on films) refer to an orally spreading public
reputations, aka ―passing from mouths to mouths‖ (abbr. ―mouths to mouths‖), having
naturally extended out to relevant scopes of online communications.
1.6.8 Cinema Line: It means distribution channels or units of films.
1.6.9 Gratifications Obtained (GO) are perceived personal outcomes, they are
therefore, sensitive to media content and feedbacks to influence content expectations.
This conception is often composed of five dimensions including general information
seeking, decisional utility, entertainment, interpersonal utility & para-social utility.
1) (General) Information seeking refers to the course or activity of
seeking to acquire information in both human and technological settings. Information
seeking is associated with, but differs from, information retrieval (IR).
2) Decisional utility: the weight that is attributed to the desirability of an
outcome in the context of a decision is called its decision utility. Decisional utility
refers to a concept deduced from choices and adopted to interpret choices.
15
3) Entertainment refers to a modality of activity that grasps the attentions
and stimulates the interests of a spectator, or renders joviality.
4) Interpersonal utility (interpersonal utility comparison) refers to
comparing the welfare of an individuality with another. The welfare standard of a
personality is evaluated by a utility function. Utility can be ordinal so that it is merely
a numeration of indifference curves.
5) Para-social utility refers to a sort of psychological relations undergone
by a viewer in their mediatory encounters with entertainers in the public media,
especially on TV. Audiences set to reckons media figures as friends, despite finitely
interacting with them. So PSI is also depicted as an illusory experience.
CHAPTER 2
LITERATURE REVIEW
This chapter summarized the relevant previous studies, literature reviews, and
hypotheses; additionally, it also reviewed the roles of marketing mix in film industries,
and explained the related theories including marketing mix theory, customer purchase
model, social exchange theory (SET) and uses & gratifications theory (UGT).
2.1 Synthesis of Related Previous Studies
On the whole, several useful findings from a few previous studies indicate the
roles, efficacies and application paradigms of the traditional 4Ps theory used in filmic
marketing campaigns; besides, several other critical factors, involving new media and
neoteric operating & marketing models as well as customers’ purchasing choice
decisions on watching new movies in cinema, with exceptions to common marketing
factors mix, are also usually appreciated and explored in present time.
Mohammadian & Habibi (2012) found that place was the most influential
variate in drawing viewers and the priority of its indices were the site of movie theatre
and the possibility of utilizing public vehicles to approach the film theatre. Product is
also an important factor among the four variables appealing to consumers, and all
indices of this variable apart from ―movie budget‖ were proved to be consequential in
drawing viewers and their priorities were individually: movie genres, scenarists,
17
movie stars, awards and nominations at the festivals and producers. Promotion
variables and its 7 indices including words of mouths, film comments, TV
commercials, media ads, movie posters, radio ads and film networks respectively, are
influential in appealing to spectators. Nonetheless, price and its index were not an
infusive variable in absorbing spectators and it is the only unpredictable result in the
present study, and ordinarily, the price of tickets tends to be cheap or medial.
Cheng (2014) mentioned that gross marketing efforts embrace promotions,
ads and theater distributions (Eastman, 2000, p. 232, as cited in Cheng, 2014, p. 8).
He also realized that in the pre-production phase, the film production team and the
marketing team are required to cooperate with each other and design a marketing plan
addressing these concerns. Cheng (2014, p. 16) also reckoned that research data for
filter test causing enormous negative response can stimulate movies to alter primary
factors if likely, and he carried on to pose that the audio/visual strategies, covering
satellite media tours, media interviews, media parties and junkets, video of news
bulletins, and web pages (Eastman, 2000, p. 240, as cited in Cheng, 2014, p. 25), are
more usually applied for TV & film marketing.
Wilcox (2012) proposed that investigation results and questionnaire
responses mirrored that the impacts of bonding social media with filmic marketing
campaign are irregular, unbalanced and inconsonant. Almost complete informants
expressed that the official filmic website would be more possibly to predicatively
affect their decisions to view films in cinemas.
18
Grove (2013) totally reminded professional or amateurish marketers 16
important marketing ideas on a small budget that are 1) Become savvy employing the
internet; 2) Don’t neglect checking individual spellings before sending your writings;
3) Shorten and refine your delivered article’s title and make it fashionable, meanwhile,
learn about how to use hash-tags on Twitter (in 8 steps); 4) Acquire proficiency in
three ways for building one’s lists when marketing movies---Contests, Competitions
and Sweepstakes, but primarily discern about them; 5) Master how to create Vine
Videos to produce splendid and epidemic matters for personal websites; 6) Keep
personal contacts with the people you already know: 7) Attend a film festival taking
along one’s filmic works; 8) Make trailers and upload them onto YouTube. 9) Use
one’s self blog to create one’s brand; 10) Employ giveaways in order to tailor benefits
to one’s investors’ real needs and wants; 11) Set up one’s Wikipedia pages; 12) Gain
an IMDB listing for ones’ own films. 13) Go out street marketing with else person (s);
14) Make a personal appearance for oneself; 15) Filmmakers should meditate on their
film’s themes and further unearth the power of their film’s themes; 16) A filmmaker
should get his/her team engaged in his/her campaign via their social media.
Lasut & Tumewu (2015) concluded that there are 3 paramount criteria
furthest influencing customers’ selections of specific cinema in Manado, Indonesia,
amongst 7 criteria namely price, accessibility, parking, comfortable/seating, rest
rooms, lobby, and meal service, which are price, accessibility, and comfortable/sitting,
respectively, in sequence being from the largest to the third largest of their influences.
19
Botha, Viviers & Jordaan (2016) found, the most important factors
hammering at ticket-purchase behaviors of Afrikaan cinema entrants are Afrikaan
national pride, leisure experience, marketing, high-quality facilities and production
certificates, in order being from the foremost to the fifth most important of influences
on purchase behaviors that those factors bring about.
Jockel & Dobler (2009) summarized that an event film characterized by its
way-out manufacture and marketing budget, totally avails itself of high-concept
marketing, as it accesses the awareness of the audience on account of a
presold-property (and potential sequel) strategy prior to on the threshold of releasing
the film. The film’s content is simplified to adapt to a concentrated marketing
campaign. By reason of the augmented investment which is indispensable to produce,
market and distribute a blockbuster, these movies will definitely absorb audiences
around the world anyhow. Therefore the blockbuster strategy rests with the movie’s
cultural competence to create significance for manifold spectators.
Mukherjee-Das (2013) concluded that Bollywood had amassed abundant
experiences in marketing strategies to the extent to garner impressive earnings in
cutthroat filmic market.
However, exceedingly few past studies examined even more universal
academic communication theories that can be employed in marketing communication
except the traditional marketing mix theories/strategies like 4Ps or 7Ps and purchase
decision or behavior theory, so the knowledge gaps in the past studies were
20
expositions and applications of some typically academic communication theories such
as social exchange theory, uses & gratifications theory, cultivation theory and etc..
2.2 Roles of Marketing Mix on Films/Cinemas Industries in New Media
The digital revolution provides consumers with loads of new approaches to
learn and chat about brands with corporations with each other (Keller, 2013, p. 219).
The new media environment has compounded the complexity of constructing valid
marketing communication projects for marketers. Additionally, marketers are about to
adopt multiple communications to achieve their aims. Moreover, each best
brand-building communication program must contain four pivotal components
including advertising and promotion, interactive marketing, events and experiences,
mobile marketing (Keller, 2013, p. 219). Supplementing the above so-called four-part
marketing communications means striving to attract consumers and the public by
means of words-of-mouths and public relations and publicity. PR and publicity
implicating talking with people, link to various marketing communication programs
and bend themselves to promote or maintain a corporation’s image or its respective
products. Words-of-mouths, powers of which root in the credibility and relevance it
often generates, also conduces to brand building via sharing mutual tastes, whims and
experiences with brands amongst consumers (Keller, 2013, p. 246).
Advertising is the principal and fine way by which a company conveys to its
consumers with regards to its products, brands and positions in the marketplaces.
21
Advertising is an important portion of the marketing mix, because it promotes
customers’ awareness and piques their interests and seeks to convince potential
customers the characteristic brand is advantageous over their competitors’ market
supplies (Iacobucci, Shannon & Grigoriou, 2015, p. 321-322). The strategy of
―Integrated Marketing Communications‖ (IMC), that is more advocated by most
advertising gurus, involves diverse media (e.g., PR, direct marketing) and aims to
sustain consistency bridging every ads for a brand within a marketing program,
therefore, advertising that is concerned with a variety of media is bound to remain
interacting with a common theme or content, resulting in a sort of synergy that
complement partial shortage thereby contributing to generating a new entire effect
which is greater than the sum of all its parts (or that is depicted as the effect of
―1+1=3‖, Iacobucci, Shannon & Grigoriou, 2015, p. 321). Briefly, the six criteria for
assessing IMC Programs, known as ―the 6Cs‖ curtly, are coverage, contribution,
commonality, complementarity, conformability, and cost respectively (Keller, 2013, p.
248). The IMC reflects that it is exceedingly important that the marketing messages
are seamlessly unitized across media options (Iacobucci, Shannon & Grigoriou, 2015,
p. 356). Furthermore, researchers and gurus often utilize long-term and short-term
measures to weigh the effectiveness of advertisings (Iacobucci, Shannon & Grigoriou,
2015, p. 373).
Tangtienchai (2015, p. 16) claimed that factors of marketing mix as
completely controllable components and he quoted that Siriwan Serirat (Tangtienchai,
22
2015, p. 16, 35) had told that enterprises are supposed to schematize prominent
marketing mix in marketing strategy. Marketing campaigns commit themselves to
achieving organizational purposes via predicting customer’s desires or demands and
then steering underway goods and services launched for gratifying customers.
Traditional marketing mix comprises of 4Ps, come to light, namely products, places
(or distributions), prices and promotions, will be taken into considerations in this
paper on filmic marketing communication mix.
Film communications involved more brilliant respects of motion pictures,
such as showmanship or production. Stage crafts and film makings are issues in
democratic culture and stressed during gigantic prize broadcasts. Nevertheless, film
communications exert a critical role on a movie’s success. Progressing and carrying
out filmic communications may prompt odds of a film’s success and contribute to
releasing relevant consensual derivatives. Furthermore, film communication is
conducive to each phase of filmmaking. Initially, during pre-productions, movies
require to hold flow of information to media and deliver bulletins in a mode that make
their programs significant or even dynamite, in other words, full-scale filmic
communication project prepared for requirements of a film’s entire life cycle ought to
be created at this stage in advance. Subsequently, in production, communicators must
implement identically prudent strategies and schematize how to preserve and
disseminate information about the movie (Cheng, 2014, p. 1). After a film is produced,
it is the communicator’s task to assure the movie is marketed with flying colors and
23
propagated to the targeted audiences. While main portions of promotion rest upon the
content of the film, the production value and its celebrity performers are usual
elements to related marketing campaigns. Having access to celebrity charms and
public culture makes for boosting mass’ awareness about the film. Particularly, it is
more increasingly frequent that trailers (purviews) and teasers are currently produced
and diffused via cinemas and social media (like YouTube, You Ku, and so forth,
Cheng, 2014, p. 2). Trailers and posters are imperative ingredients for filmic
marketing campaigns. Overall, relevant promotional activities of a movie are ongoing
throughout the movie’s entire procedure of creation, production and release
essentially (Cheng, 2014, p.5).
Taylor (2018) contended that there are currently 17 encouraging popular
strategies for marketing films & TV shows that are respectively as below:
1) Releasing remarkable creative works and even their derivatives so as to
become the publicity stunt;
2) Advocating pre-roll video advertising as incredibly effective implements
for soliciting interests and sowing launched prevue on extensive networks;
3) Become smart with key journalists and critics that you invite to your press
junket (Notably, you merely need to manage to push out a mini press junket in every
metropolis to attract latent fans living in those places);
4) To devise a sort of activity similar to ―Virtual Hunger Game‖ aiming that
enable film fans with their intimate people to experience what characters in various
24
movies tasted of in plots of those films;
5) The film listings and ads packages on the search engine ―IMDB‖ are
comprehensive, excellent and indispensable for in search of films and ads;
6) Implicating your viewers in the filmmaking or filmic marketing strategies
via innumerable manners is a fabulous access to acquire a few steadfast incipient
amateurs or enthusiasts;
7) As a film maker or marketer, he/she should create his/her video previews
in a manner that is able to truly affect audiences’ mood states. Moreover, they ought to
formulate an appropriate strategy to seed it on internet. Initially, they may upload their
video prevue onto their company’s landing pages they can manage to design, by the
way, they may modify their preview on their own official websites for the sake of
favorable promotionally visual effects, and then after around a fortunate they may
diffuse those video trailers on else public websites;
8) Filmmakers and filmic marketers should visually found conspicuous
functional sub-sites; unless they knew how to found them, they might go to read some
web hosting guides to establish themselves’ websites and operate them;
9) A filmmaking or filmic marketing company should facilitate their own
Facebook pages to be interactive with audiences, so they ought to make their best
efforts in three crucial fields on Facebook including designing Facebook’s pages,
Facebook Apps, and Facebook’s timeline marketing;
10) The niche social networks, such as Vine, Instagram, Pinterest, are
25
available and mightn’t be underestimated for filmic marketing mix;
11) Achieving certain marketing purposes via auctioning props utilized in
film or TV series;
12) Carrying out social competitions & quizzes to tout buzz and acquire
rewards and generate stimulations so as to arouse favorable interactive mechanism
with customers;
13) On condition that a filmmaking or filmic marketing team were availing
themselves of celebrity actors/actresses or brand partnership to promote their products
or creative works online, they must soberly aware that they were utilizing their
audiences or fans to attain their promotional goals;
14) Filmic marketing campaigns may tactfully make use of audiences’
personal tastes and whims on certain characters in marketable movies to construct
personas centering on those characters on social media;
15) Taking advantages of memes & other sorts of UGC (user generated
content) aims to leverage objective viewers’ creativities to establish highly shareable
contents or messages capable of popularizing films skillfully;
16) Having access to Google Ad words for movies or TV show
recommendations can be conducive to achieve certain filmic marketing aims through
marketing ads;
17) Applying adequately shareable Facebook ads is either an effective
promotional (propagandistic) measure deserves recommending. Therefore, generally,
26
all of these specific cinematic or telemarketing strategies are brought forth or
conceived no other than under circumstances of increasingly newer social media and
based on traditional marketing mix (4Ps).
With reference to new media, it is the emerging media form under new
technology supporting system, aka "the fifth media" figuratively, (compared to four
main traditional media including newspapers, radios, televisions, magazines.) such as
digital magazines, digital newspapers, digital broadcasting, mobile phone SMS,
networks, desktop windows, digital cable videos, digital movies, and touch media,
etc.. Interactivity and immediacy, mass and share-ability, multimedia and hypertext,
individuation and community have characterized it already. New media is being
unprecedentedly popularized by dint of its incomparable advantages, triggering a
neo-revolution in film industry. Previously, traditional filmic marketing campaigns
often concentrate on popularization of traditional media like newspapers, radios and
televisions, as well as coverage of portal websites and professional websites both,
thereby pursuing upper exposure rates. Owing to the gradual permeations of new
media, filmic marketing campaigns are paying more close attentions to propagations
of social media; simultaneously, it is striving to swerve to establish full-scale
interactive mechanisms with target audiences and keep a watchful eye on crucial topic
guidance and managements for adjustments to external cinematic marketing
environments in the era of new media. For example, a variety of assorted marketing
tools including Weibo marketing, word-of-mouth marketing, topic marketing, public
27
welfare marketing, and crossover marketing, were effectively applied to the
publicities of a Chinese fiction film named ―To Our lost Youth‖ (2013), thereby
purposefully and selectively surmounting multifarious difficulties, crises and
obstacles to the extent that acquire marketing results (Xu, 2014, p. 398).
Undisputedly, marketers of movies also often employ traditional marketing
frameworks (4Ps) to market movies products, because four elements in 4Ps such as
Products, Places (of Distributions), Prices and Promotions had been proved to be
indispensably influential factors attracting customers to enter film theatres in previous
researches on filmic organic marketing activities (Mohammadian & Habibi, 2012, p.
100), likewise just as conditions in myriads of prior cases on marketing merchandises
and services.
2.3 Assumptions of Marketing Mix Theory (4Ps)
2.3.1 The Most Common 4P’s Concepts
Marketing Mix Theory has been defined as ―the chosen marketing tools that
the enterprise employs to seek its marketing goals in the target‖. Hence the marketing
mix consists of the following factors in broad levels:
1) Product denotes a tangible commodity or an intangible service that is
bound to be launched and marketed. Tangible products can be articles like daily
necessities (Toothpastes, Soaps, Lotions, Shampoos, Facial cleansers, Moisturizers) or
durable consumables (Watches, IPads, IPods, IPhones, Personal Stereos, Electric
28
Razors). Intangible products, include basic or upscale services, such as tourism
industry and information service industry, and codes-based products like cell phone
loads and credits. Product design resulting in the product features is the paramount
factor. However, packaging also calls for being taken into considerations while
determining this factor. Every product undergoes a lifecycle including a progressive
phase followed by an ultimate period of recession as the product accesses market
saturations. To maintain its competitiveness in targeted market, unremitting line
stretching via innovation and thus differentiation is needful and is one of the strategies
to distinguish a product from its rivals in market.
2) Price is the amount of a consumer’s payment for a product. If the price
overweighs the perceived advantages to a person, the perceived value of the offering
will be lowered and it will be unlikely to be embraced; yet if the perceived benefits
are in excess of their expenditures, odds of trial and introduction of the product will
be mushroomed. Plus, price is the mere marketing factor that makes profits, unlike the
three other factors linking with outlays. Nay, price is also one of the most elastic and
fickle marketing factor (Armstrong & Kotler, 2000, 290, as cited in Mohammadian &
Habibi, 2012, p. 102).
3) Place refers to the site where a commodity might be purchased. It is
regularly deemed as the distribution channel. This may include any stockiest centers
(supermarkets, departmental stores, retailing outlets) as well as virtual stores
(e-markets and e-malls) online. This is pivotal as this provides communal facilities to
29
customers, which frequently becomes a deciding factor for the purchasing plentiful
commodities across miscellaneous product catalogues.
4) Promotion signifies omnidirectional communications that a marketer
can employ in bazaars to raise awareness about product(s) and its (or their)
advantages to the target segment. Promotion possesses four conspicuous ingredients:
advertisings, public relations, personal promotions and marketing (sales promotion).
Advertisings may consist of utilizing featured packaging to display products, making
availability of promotional products for a company, or ads on internets. A quantity of
trans-boundary promotions comes up when promotions adopt the four primary
elements side by side (e.g. in film promotions). Salesmen often play a prime role in a
product’s promotions.
2.3.2 4P’s Conceptual Models in Filmic/Cinematic Marketing Mix
Since the researcher intended to study on the filmic marketing
communications of the Sino movie ―Dying to Survive‖, the researcher has to consider
and make clear how the marketers of the film market the film from the angle of 4Ps.
Although there are apparent distinctions between marketing a cultural or an artistic
product like a movie and marketing a physical goods or services, marketers have to
weigh and balance every decisive marketing element (4Ps or even more) across-the-
broad again and again in the marketing process. Virtually, only in this way, marketers
will be capable of grasping quintessence and overall situations of marketing
campaigns. Nevertheless, the two factors ―product‖ and ―place‖ tend to be more
30
prioritized when marketing a film than when marketing a corporeal commodity or a
sort of service.
Figure 2.1: The Rudimentary Conceptual Framework of Filmic Marketing mix (4P)
Table 2.1: The Subdivision of Conceptual Framework of Cinematic Marketing Mix
(4Ps)
The Bottommost Influential Factors Appealing to Audiences to Enter Movie
Theatres
Products Places of
Distributions
Prices Promotions
Content Quality
(Plots, Actors/ Actresses’
Lines, Acts, Ideology,
Connotations, etc.)
Approaches/Path
ways to Film
Theatres by Mass
Transits
Special
Discounts &
Half Rate
Tickets
Related Teasers
& Ads Online
(Continued)
31
Table 2.1 (Continued): The Subdivision of Conceptual Framework of Cinematic
Marketing Mix (4Ps)
The Bottommost Influential Factors Appealing to Audiences to Enter Movie
Theatres
Technological Level
(Editing, Special
Effects, Digital
Sound/Music
Recordings, etc.)
Locations of
Movie
Theatres
Unified/Fixed
Price Set by
Cinema Lines ( in
Some Countries
& Regions)
Trailers & Plot
Synopsis on Relevant
Film Websites
Genres Promotional Movie
Reviews & WOM
Online or Offline
Directors Online or Offline
Gossip News
Intentionally
Propagated by
Marketing Sides
(Producers Public
Posters/Billboards
Outdoor or in Cinemas
Budgets Various Relevant
Propagandas in
Newspapers, Tabloids,
& Magazines (Mainly
Refer to
Entertainments, Media,
Film Art)
Celebrity Performers Commercials &
Trailers on TVs &
Radios
(Continued)
32
Table 2.1 (Continued): The Subdivision of Conceptual Framework of Cinematic
Marketing Mix (4Ps)
The Bottommost Influential Factors Appealing to Audiences to Enter Movie
Theatres
Nominations in
Festivals
Ads Emerged at Exteriors &
Interiors of Popular Vehicles
Awards in Festivals Non-marketing Academic or
Non-academic Filmic Reviews
& Scores Online or Offline (But
Playing Sale Roles Objectively)
According to the above table, we may explicitly realize that the basic
subdivision elements incorporated by promotions and marketable products per se tend
to be more multiple than ones comprised by places and prices under an overwhelming
majority of circumstances. Additionally, in some countries or regions (including
China), cinema line repeatedly assumes unified price setting for releasing films.
Besides, most Sino movie buffs would rather afford comparatively costly cinema
tickets than lose opportunities to feast their eyes on the latest brilliant movies, as long
as they hear some newest splendid whatever native or foreign ones will be publicly
screened for the first time. Therefore, the influences of ticket prices on consumers’
decisions to purchase movie tickets in China tend not to be uppermost. Although
infrequent special discounts in ticket prices usually can stimulate latent film
spectators to swarm into cinemas, this is merely minor circumstance. Exceptionally,
33
selected places of distributions (locations of primary film theatres) in China are
normally boomtown movie theaters in every metropolis even burgeoning
medium-and-small-sized towns (even in Sino third-tier, fourth-tier, & fifth-tier cities).
Moreover, most Chinese movie theatres don’t be always built in prosperous shopping
malls or on both sides of bustling commercial strips like other countries, so most
external environments of Sino cinemas don’t necessarily absorb customers’ eyeballs.
There are almost a number of cinemas in every urban district of every city, leading
their conveniences to be similar, whose interior layouts and facilities are nearly in
comparison with each other. However, a premiere of a Sino cinema novo which is
especially vastly invested on, frequently takes place in the foremost metropolis such
as Peking, Shanghai, and Guangzhou in China. Hence, place, as an influential
marketing factor, seems not always to be too salient for cinematic marketing
campaigns in China.
Table 2.2: the Percentages of Box-Office Growth in Chinese Third-Tier, Fourth-Tier
and Fifth-Tier Local Cities in the Year of 2018 Compared to That of
Box-Office Increments in those Sino Local Small Cities in the Year of
2017
Sizes of Cities The Ratios of Box-Office Increment in the Year of 2018
Third Line Cities 19.64%
Fourth Line Cities 28.67%
Fifth Line Cities 33.41%
Source: Movie headline. (2018). Retrieved from www.cnr.cn.
34
2.4 The Concepts of Customer Purchase-Decision Models
Figure 2.2: the Indicator of Diagrams of the Purchase Process
2.4.1 The Purchase Process
The above chart outlines the entire process of customer purchases. The whole
process is roughly segregated into three stages, i.e. pre-purchase, purchase and
post-purchase respectively. It also spreads out what customers likely consider and do
in each stage by and large. However, consumers mustn’t always rationally measure
every alternative option in the phase of pre-purchase.
2.4.2 The Customer’s Purchase Decision Process (The Segmentation of the
Customer’s Purchase Process) Buyers’ characteristics, buyers’ responses, marketing
stimuli and environmental stimuli conjointly and deeply influence buyers’ decision
purchases, according to prior studies and generalizations.
35
Figure 2.3: The Purchasing Decision Model
Marketing
Stimuli
Product
Price
Place
Promotion
Buyer’s
Responses
Product
Choice
Brand
Choice
Dealer
Choice
Purchase
Timing
Purchase
Amount
Environmental Stimuli
Economic, Technological, Political, Social-Cultural, Natural
Buyer’s Decision
Process
Problem
Recognition
Information
Search
Alternative
Evaluation
Purchase Decision
Post-Decision
Buyers’ Characteristics
Attitudes, Motivations, Perceptions, Personalities, Lifestyles, Knowledge,
36
The consumer purchase process is normally described as comprising of 5
discrete phases: This course initiates with the problem recognition phase which comes
up when a consumer identifies a need, quintessentially defined as the gap between
customers’ actual states and their desired states. The impetus of the needs motivates
the whole decision process. Information search stage refers to the phase that
consumers scrutinize both their intrinsic memory and extrinsic sources for
information about products or brands that probably meet their needs or desires. The
purpose of the information search is to identify a checklist of choices that signify
realistic buying options. A consumer partakes in a sequence of evaluations of
alternatives so as to seek maximum values throughout the whole process.
Approaching the final evaluation stage, consumers take shape willingness to purchase,
which can or can’t transform into a realistic product purchase. Even when consumers
resolve to resume an actual buying, the decision-process is not integral until the
consumer consumes or savors the product and involves in a final post purchase
evaluations; a stage in which the buyer's true tastes of the product is compared with
the expectations generated in the information searches and evaluation stages. Every
phase of the decision process regularly takes place in a constant sequence.
Nevertheless, it should be noticed that information searches and evaluations can occur
throughout the holistic determination process, eventually carrying over to the stage of
post-purchase.
Notably, purchasing process is influenced by far-raging factors that are
37
categorized into internal ones and external ones. The internal ingredients, aka, buyers’
characteristics, including attitudes, motivations, emotions, perceptions, personalities,
knowledges, lifestyles & prior experiences; as well as their tradeoffs, incorporating
product choices, brand choices, dealer choices, purchase timings & purchase amounts.
whereas the external ingredients, aka, environmental stimuli, embracing cultures,
subcultures, economies, natures, technologies, politics, social classes, reference
groups, families & situational determinants; along with marketing stimuli, covering
traditional 4Ps (product, price, place, & promotion).
2.5 Customer’s Purchase Behaviors in Films
Suwarto (2012) generalized, based on her findings in her research that all of
factors affecting customers’ resolutions on choosing which movie are classified as 5
distinct categories including marketing communications, neutral information sources,
film traits, contents, and relaxations (or comforts). In other words, if those
abovementioned 5 sorts of factors stimulate customers’ interests or satisfy their
expectations on movies, customers probably choose to buy tickets about the movies.
Horvath & Gyenge (2015) concluded in their mutual research that group
dynamics and perceptions can affect how a movie viewer selects favorable or
expected films, and their purchase behaviors are deemed as a sort of consumptions
with overt and covert duality or are reckoned as a kind of expenditures endowed with
one either nature of the above dual natures.
38
Penthey (2015, pp. 25-27) also pointed out potential customers are prone to
believe in consumer comments that transmits more precise messages than critics due
to more similarities of consumer reviews in savoring and knowledges to theirs as well
as bewildering, tedious and even awful lengths and complexities of critics, and
factually the degree to customers’ needs for cognitive closure play a critical role on
being apt to accept customer reviews or critics. Film reviews have a certain direct
effect on the consumer deliberation processes, which consequently result in the
resolutions on whether or not to buy a ticket to watch the film. The origin and the type
of information contained by the review hugely impact this effect. Different
combinations of multitudinous those information whose sources and genres both are
diverse, often generate a wide variety of effects on single consumer’s purchase
decisions.
2.6 Assumptions of Social Exchange Theory
2.6.1 Outline of Social Exchange Theory
Social exchange theory, primitively constructed by Homans (1958), is a
psychosocial and sociologic outlook or thought measure interpreting social change
and stability as a course of negotiated exchanges between privies. Social exchange
theory presented that interpersonal relationships are constituted via the applications of
a subjective interested analysis and the comparisons of substitutes. The theory has
derived from economics, psychology and sociology, that characterizes numerous
39
items of the dominating assumptions existing in rational choice theory and
structuralism. It is also utilized quite persistently in business circles to implicate a
bilateral, mutually contingent and rewarding course involving deals or plain swaps.
2.6.2 Basic Concepts
Social exchange theory reckons exchange as a social behavior that may lead
both to economic and social results. Social exchange theory has been universally
analyzed by comparing human interactions with agoras. The researches of the theory
from the microeconomics perspective are ascribed to Peter Blau. As per his
perspectives, each nom is trying to maximize his or her triumphs. Peter Blau set out
that in case that this concept is digested, it is possible to view social exchanges as be
ubiquitous, not merely in market relationships, but also in other social ties such as
friendship. Social exchange process elicits satisfactions when people receive equitable
rewarding for their outlays. The main differentia between social and economic swops
is the nature of the exchange between privies. Neoclassic economic theory deems the
actor as transacting not with another actor but with marketable and environmental
parameters, just as market values. Unlike economic interchanges, the factors of social
exchange are highly miscellaneous and cannot be lessened to a sole quantitative
exchange rate. According to Stafford, social exchanges involve an association with
another person; concern trusts instead of legal obligations; are more flexible; and
barely implicate explicit trading.
40
Costs and Rewards
Simple social exchange models assume that returns and costs impel
relationship decisions. Both sides in a social exchange take charge for one another and
rely on each other. The elements of relational life include:
Costs are the elements of relational life that possess negative values to an
individual, such as the efforts put into a relationship and the negatives of a partner.
(Costs may be time, money, efforts etc.)
Rewards are the elements of a relationship that possess positive values.
(Rewards may be senses of acceptances, supports, and companionships etc.)
As with everything involving the social exchange theory, it has as its
results gratifications and reliance of relationships. The social-exchange viewpoints
bring up that people compute the gross worth of a particular relationship through
deducting its costs from the rewards it offers.
Worth = Rewards–Costs
If worth is a positive value, it is a positive relationship. Reversely, a
negative value indicates a negative one. The worth of a relationship influences its
results, or whether people are going to proceed with this relationship or terminate it.
Positive relationships are expected to sustain, whereas negative ones will probably
draw to a close. In a reciprocal exchange, each side supplies the desired of the other
side at lower expense to self than the values of the resources the other side offers. In
such a pattern, mutual relationship gratifications guarantees relationship steadiness.
41
Outcome = Rewards−Costs
Homans (1958) founded his theory on behaviorism to infer that people
chase rewards to minimize costs. The "satisfactory-ness" of the rewards that a privy
acquires from an exchange relationship is adjudged concerning some standards, which
might vary from privy to privy.
2.6.3 Assumptions of Social Exchange Theory
Social exchange theory is a frame of reference rather than a theory within
which numerous theories can be demonstrated to someone else, whether in
controversies or mutual favors. All these theories are established upon a few
assumptions about human natures and properties of relationships. Thibaut & Kelley
(1959) have based their theory on two conceptualizations: one centering on individual
natures and one depicting human relations between two people. Thus, these
assumptions they make are also classified into these categories. The assumptions that
social exchange theory makes about human nature involve the following:
Humans quest rewards and avert punishments (or expenses).
Humans are rational vitae.
The standards that humans wield to evaluate expenses and returns vary
within the passage of time and from individual to individual.
The assumptions social exchange theory makes about the attributes of
relationships cover the following:
Relationships are interdependent.
42
Relational life is a process.
The prisoner's dilemma is a broadly applicable example in game theory that
attempts to expound why or how two persons may not join hands with each other,
even though it is in their top hobbies to do so. It demonstrates that while cooperation
would produce the optimum outcomes, people might nonetheless perform selfishly.
Every relationship has respect to exchanges although the balance of this interchange is
not always au pair. We can’t attain our objectives separately so as we humans have to
become performers at times. In the world nowadays we regard performers as apathetic
people, however, that is not the status once we achieve our goals eventually.
2.6.4 Applications of Social Exchange Theory in Filmic Marketing
Communications
Similarly, filmic making & marketing parties anticipate harvesting as high
box-office revenues as possible from audiences via excellent synthetic quality of
releasing films as well as savvy and effective marketing strategies or tactics along
with other enumerative advantages. That is to say, they hope that their ultimate
rewards should prominently outweigh their complete expenditures on their launching
movies, in light of Social Exchange Theory (SET). Thus it suffices to attest the
positive enough worth of their releasing films. Oppositely, moviegoers expect to
watch a genuinely valuable film for them, videlicet, they look forward to reap even
higher returns mainly including upper senses of acceptances or fulfillments (or
satisfactions) and supportive attitudes than their costs on cinema tickets. If both those
43
vendors and purchasers feel that there is a positive worth for both sides in the process
of promoting films, this market exchange relationship between filmic making &
marketing parties and audiences will be positive and then destined to be sustained.
Otherwise, this relationship is tough to be retained and urgently needs to be adjusted
or altered. Therefore, the SET likely offers one of the most basic standards that may
verify whether relevant marketing campaigns and even comprehensive quality of a
film are triumph or not, to a certain extent and from a particular aspect. It also offers a
theoretical foundation for my study.
2.7 Assumptions of Uses & Gratifications Theory
2.7.1 Outline of Uses & Gratifications Theory
Uses and gratifications theory (UGT) (Katz, Blumbler & Gurevitch, 1974), is
a mode to comprehend why and how people actively search for specific media to
fulfill specific requirements. UGT is an audience-centric way to making out mass
communications. Diverging from other media effect theories that inquire ―what does
media do to people?‖. UGT concentrates on "what do people do with media?" It
postulates that media is an exceedingly securable product and the audiences are the
consumers of the identical product.
This communication theory is positivistic in its manner, on the basis of the
socio-psychological communication traditions, and focuses on communications at the
mass medium scale. The propulsive question of UGT is: Why do people use media
44
and what do they use them for? UGT discusses how users intentionally select media
that will gratify existed needs and permit one to enhance knowledge, relaxations,
social interactions/companionships, transfers or escapes.
2.7.2 Assumptions of Uses & Gratifications Theory
Unlike other theories regarding media consumptions, UGT gives the
consumer power to identify what media they consume, with the assumption that the
consumer has an unambiguous objective and effect. This is contradiction with bygone
theories such as mass society theory, which states that people are unaided sufferers of
mass media produced by corporations; and personal differences perspectives, which
states that intelligences and self-esteems greatly impel single media queries.
Given these differentiated theories, UGT is unparalleled in its assumptions:
The audience is active and its media use is goal-directed.
The initiatives in connecting need gratifications to a specific medium
option hinge on the audience member.
The media vies with other resources for demand fulfillments.
People have adequate self-consciousness of their media uses, hobbies and
incentives to be capable of offering researchers with an accurate outlook of those
usages. Valuations of media contents can only be evaluated by the viewer.
45
2.8 The Variable Relationship(s) and Hypotheses
2.8.1 The Variable Relationship(s)
Figure 2.4: The Flow Chart of the Hypothetical Variable Relationships as above
(Theoretical Framework)
Chinese customers’ perceptions
towards the influences of
marketing communication factors
of the film ―Dying to Survive‖ on
their overall satisfactions
- Product, Price, Place,
Promotion
(Independent Variables)
Chinese customers’ obtained
gratifications of media after
watching the film ―Dying to
survive‖ (Dependent Variables)
1. General Information Seeking
2. Decisional Utility
3. Entertainment
4. Interpersonal Utility
5. Parasocial Interaction
46
Figure 2.5: The Breakdown Structure of ―Public Appraisals‖ (Non-Marketing and
Actual)
Figure 2.6: The Inextricable Ties (or Mutual Transformation) between Online
Evaluations and Words of Mouths
47
2.8.2 Hypotheses
In the last chapter, I have fixated as the sole research question of this paper,
hence, I posit corresponding pivotal researchable hypotheses now:
1) The Overall Hypothesis:
Hypothesis 1: Chinese respondents’ perception toward the influences of
marketing mix of the film ―Dying to Survive‖ (4Ps-product, price, place, and
promotion) (on their general satisfactions with the film) significantly affect their
gratifications obtained from watching the film in respect to general information
seeking, decision utility, interpersonal utility, entertainment, and para-social
interaction.
2) All of the Subdivision Hypotheses:
Hypothesis 1.1: Chinese respondents’ perceptions toward the influences
of marketing mix (4Ps) of the film ―Dying to Survive‖ significantly sway their
gratifications obtained from watching the film ―Dying to Survive.‖
Hypothesis 1.2.1 Chinese respondents’ perceptions toward the influences
of marketing mix (4Ps) of the film ―Dying to Survive‖ significantly affect their
gratifications obtained in respect general information seeking from watching the film
―Dying to Survive.‖
Hypothesis 1.2.2 Chinese respondents’ perceptions toward the influences
of marketing mix (4Ps) of the film ―Dying to Survive‖ significantly affect their
gratifications obtained in respect decision utility from watching the film ―Dying to
48
Survive.‖
Hypothesis 1.2.3 Chinese respondents’ perceptions toward the influences
of marketing mix (4Ps) of the film ―Dying to Survive‖ significantly affect their
gratifications obtained in respect entertainment from watching the film ―Dying to
Survive.‖
Hypothesis 1.2.4 Chinese respondents’ perceptions toward the influences
of marketing mix (4Ps) of the film ―Dying to Survive‖ significantly affect their
gratifications obtained in respect interpersonal utility from watching the film ―Dying
to Survive.‖
Hypothesis 1.2.5 Chinese respondents’ perceptions toward the influences
of marketing mix (4Ps) of the film ―Dying to Survive‖ significantly affect their
gratifications obtained in respect para-social interaction from watching the film
―Dying to Survive.‖
CHAPTER 3
RESEARCH METHODOLOGIES
This chapter summarized the research strategy, population and sampling
methods, researching instruments, reliability of the instrument, data collection, data
analysis, and demographic profiles of the samples.
3.1 Research Design (Research Strategy)
This study is a quantitative research which aims to examine the influences of
the factors of marketing mix (4Ps) (impacts of marketing mix on surveyed viewers’
general satisfactions) on the film’s media gratifications among Chinese moviegoers
who had ever viewed the film at least once in cinema. Through this questionnaire
survey that would be dispersed via web and by virtue of following elementary
calculations implemented by survey websites, the researcher could assemble reliable
informative first-hand data.
3.2 Research Population and Samples
This research population mainly directs at moviegoers residing in three
largest Chinese metropolis including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, who have
ever watched the Chinese fiction film ―Dying to Survive‖ (2018) at least once, whose
age is above 20 years old.
50
Two hundred and eight young and middle-aged grown respondents residing
in the three Sino cities, i.e., Beijing, Shanghai & Guangzhou participated in this
online survey. Herein, the numbers of participators in this survey from Beijing,
Shanghai & Guangzhou are 74, 69 & 65 respectively; although the researcher
originally projected that the sums of respondents from these three largest Sino
metropolis (Beijing, Shanghai & Guangzhou) in this survey would be 70, 70, & 60
separately.
3.3 Research Instruments
The researcher had confirmed 3-section questionnaire format including
inquiries of demographic information, examinations of the impacts of the marketing
factors mix (4Ps) on investigated moviegoers’ gratifications towards the film (in these
moviegoers’ perceptions) and investigations of obtained 5-dimension gratifications of
every surveyed Sino audiences (who had ever viewed the film at least once in cinema)
as an imperative instrument to collect first-hand data. Respondents, who had ever
viewed the Sino feature film at least once, must fill in the questionnaire honestly and
anonymously. Notably, each question is one-choice question in this questionnaire. The
three parts of contents would be exposed as below:
Section 1: Inquiring the demographic information of the surveyed movie
spectators (who must have ever viewed the film ―Dying to Survive‖ at least once and
come from three Sino largest metropolis including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou
51
merely.)
This section merely included three fields of questions involving gender, age
and cities (where respondents come from) including three items. Only two options
(male or female) are commonly set for this first one-choice question regarding gender
in average questionnaires, of course, this one-choice question in many questionnaires
is of no exception. This question undoubtedly pertains to nominal scale. But the
second one-choice question regarding respondents’ ages belongs to ordinal scale,
which offers six options for respondents’ free choice in accordance with their
individual physical truths, which are essentially six age brackets including 20-24
years old, 25-29 years old, 30-34 years old, 35-44 years old, & elder than 44 years old.
The third one-choice question refers to which Chinese metropolis every Sino
respondents come from, for which only three options including Beijing, Shanghai &
Guangzhou are installed. Thus it’s also a typical nominal data.
Table 3.1: Levels of Information Measurements and Criteria
Question no. Variables Levels Of Measurements Criteria Classification
1 Gender Nominal Scale 1=Male
2=Female
2 Age Ordinal Scale 1=20-24
2=25-29
3=30-34
(Continued)
52
Table 3.1 (Continued): Levels of Information Measurements and Criteria
Question no. Variables Levels Of Measurements Criteria Classification
2 Age Ordinal Scale 4=35-39
5=40-44
6=over 44
3 Cities
(Respondents
Come from)
Nominal Scale 1=Beijing
2=Shanghai
3=Guangzhou
Question no. Level Of Measurement Criteria Classification
4-35 Interval Scale 1=Lowest influence
2=Low Influence
3=Not high nor low Influence
4=High Influence
5=Highest Influence
Section 2: Examining the influence of marketing factors mix (4Ps) on the
media gratification of the film as perceived by Chinese respondents
This section was the first core part of the questionnaire survey, which aimed
to examine Chinese respondents’ perceptions on the influence of marketing factors
mix (4Ps) on their general satisfactions of the film. The questions of this part pertain
to impacts of each marketing factors in 4Ps namely products, prices, places &
promotions on movie viewers’ overall contentment towards the Chinese narrative
movie. Moreover, this section comprises 32 questions. 5-likert scale format was
adopted to design the answer options so as to examine the impacts of every marketing
53
factors (4Ps) including products, prices, places, and promotions on participators’
satisfactions towards this movie (in participators’ perceptions). These answer options
are ranging from (1) lowest influence, (2) low influence, (3) not high nor low
influence, (4) high Influence, (5) highest influence (Please See Appendix).
Section 3: Investigating the obtained gratification of the film ―Dying to
Survive‖
As shown in Table 3.3, this section is the second crucial part of the
questionnaire survey, which is designed to weigh every respondents’ GO (gratification
obtained). The researcher used Palmgreen, Wenner, & Rayburn’ Uses and
Gratification scale (1980) which includes 15-item scale to weigh them, and the items
measured 5 GS & GO dimensions: GIS (General Information Seeking), DU
(Decisional Utility), E (Entertainment), IU (Interpersonal Utility) & PI (Para-social
Interaction). The researcher employed this 15-item scale to investigate surveyed
viewers’ those aforementioned 5-dimension obtained gratifications of the film as
summarized in Table 3.4. The researcher adopted more pragmatic and handy answer
option model on 5-likert scale ranging from (1) strongly disagree, (2) disagree, (3)
neutral; (4) agree; (5) strongly agree (Please See Appendix).
54
Table 3.2: Dimensions of Gratification Obtained for the Film
Question
No.
Variables Levels Of
Measurements
Criteria Classification
36-39 General Information Seeking Interval Scales
(All are same)
1=Strongly
Disagree
2=Disagree
3=Neutral
4=Agree
5=Strongly Agree
(All are same)
40-43 Decisional Utility
44-47 Entertainment
48-51 Interpersonal Utility
52-55 Para-social Interaction
Table 3.3: Statements Measuring Each Dimension of Gratification Obtained from the
Movie
15 Items 5 Factors
1) The film enabled me to keep up with current issues and events.
2) The film made me unsurprised with unexpected things around
me.
3) The film gave me the information I can trust.
General
Information
Seeking (GIS)
4) The film enabled me to find out what kind of job our cops in
police stations are busy doing.
5) The film reminded of me to pay attention to the issues of
Chinese medical care and legal systems.
6) The film revealed about social issues affecting people like
myself.
Decisional
Utility (DI)
(Continued)
55
Table 3.3 (Continued): Statements Measuring Each Dimension of Gratification
Obtained from the Movie
15 Items 5 Factors
7) The film is often entertaining.
8) The film is often dramatic.
9) The film is fairly exciting.
Entertainment
(E)
10) The film supported my own viewpoints rather than other
people’.
Interpersonal
Utility (IU)
11) The film enabled me to transmit some valuable information to
other people.
12) The film provided me interesting contents to talk about with
other people.
Interpersonal
Utility (IU)
13) The performers in the film can portray the roles’ human
quality.
14) The film offered me to compare my own ideas with other
people.
15) The performers in the film are like people I know in my life.
Para-social
Interaction (PI)
3.4 Data Analysis and Interpretations
To interpret the descriptive findings of marketing mix (4Ps), the researcher
will use the following criteria in Table 3.5 to explain the Chinese viewers’ perception
toward the influence of the marketing mix or 4Ps of the film ―Dying to Survive‖.
56
Table 3.4: Criteria for Interpretations on the Influences of 4Ps
Opinion toward the statement Score Criteria Meaning
Highest influence 5 4.21–5.00 Highest influence
High influence 4 3.41–4.20 High influence
Not high nor low influence 3 2.61–3.40 Not high nor low influence
Low influence 2 1.81–2.60 Low influence
Lowest influence 1 1.00–1.80 Lowest influence
To interpret the descriptive findings of Chinese respondents’ gratification
obtained from watching the film, the researcher will use the following criteria in Table
3.6 to explain the Chinese viewers’ gratifications obtained from watching the film
―Dying to Survive‖ in Table 3.6.
Table 3.5: Criteria for Interpretations on the Gratifications Obtained from Watching
the Film ―Dying to Survive‖
Opinion toward the statement Score Criteria Meaning
Strongly agree 5 4.21–5.00 Highest gratification
Agree 4 3.41–4.20 High gratification
Agree nor disagree 3 2.61–3.40 Neutral gratification
Disagree 2 1.81 – 2.60 Low gratification
Strongly disagree 1 1.00 – 1.80 Lowest gratification
57
3.5 Reliability of Instruments
The researcher will use this criterion in Table 3.7 to interpret the reliability of
the instrument. If the Cronbach alpha is higher than .60 the questionnaire would be
justified as acceptable (Tavakol & Dennick, 2011). The researcher has pretested the
questionnaire with 30 respondents and found that all parts have higher than .70
Cronbach Alpha. This means that the questionnaire is reliable.
Table 3.6: Cronbach’s Alpha Formula
Cronbach’s alpha Internal consistency
a≥0.9 Excellent
0.9>a≥0.8 Good
0.8>a≥0.7 Acceptable
0.7>a≥0.6 Questionable
0.6>a≥0.5 Poor
0.5≥a Unacceptable
Source: George, D., & Mallery, P. (2003). SPSS for Windows step by step: A simple
guide and reference 11.0 update (4th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
58
Table 3.7: Reliability Tests of the Questionnaire
V Cronbach’s
Alphas
Numbers
of Items
Question
Numbers
Marketing Factors Mix 0.978 32 4-35
1. The Film Quality 0.962 15 4-18
2. Ticket Prices 0.912 4 19-22
3. Places of Distributions 0.909 3 23-25
4. Promotions 0.957 10 26-35
Obtained Gratifications (5 Dimensions) 0.961 20 36-55
- General Information Seeking 0.825 4 36-39
- Decisional Utility 0.854 4 40-43
- Entertainment 0.810 4 44-47
- Interpersonal Utility 0.871 4 48-51
- Para-social Interaction 0.872 4 52-55
3.6 Data Collection Procedure
During the questionnaire design, the researcher had to translate the drafted
questionnaire into Chinese version by using the method of back translation. Videlicet,
the representations of every instruments were translated into Chinese form and then
translated back into English form by a Chinese student who is fluent in English
expressions. The two versions of the original were crosschecked for adequacy in
translation. The discrepancies between the two versions suggested to the researcher
59
that further translation was required.
When the Chinese translator checked the questionnaire, she distributed the
manuscript of questionnaire to other helpers for useful advices. The translator told the
researcher that these helpers posed some crucially constructive perspectives &
proposals on the questionnaire and what those perspectives & proposals were on earth.
After the researcher took those helpers’ advices the translator transmitted, he realized
that he was supposed to inspect the primary questionnaire afresh. For instances, some
of helpers pointed out that there are too many questions in this questionnaire so as to
the survey costs surveyed movie spectators’ some precious time in pondering upon
how they respond to it well by dint of their realistic viewing experiences with respects
to this movie; another helper proposed that some of one-choice questions are actually
too nugatory such as three original questions regarding to budgets, nominations &
awards in festivals comprised in the portion of impacts of the movie’s promotions on
surveyed moviegoers’ satisfactions in the second section of the questionnaire; even
some else helpers euphemistically conveyed a sentiment of being completely
indifferent to a number of questions regarding to film professions like editing, special
visual effects, digital audio & dynamic effects included in the second section, and
they also briefly stated most respondents’ attitudes towards those questions would
probably resembled them…, and so forth. Thus the researcher decided to delete some
indeed nugatory questions including aforementioned three ones with reference to
impacts of the film’s promotions, considering a number of opinions and proposals of
60
helpers as correct or reasonable. Nonetheless, the researcher still retained some
specific questions that concern the domain of film profession, because the researcher
reckoned that cinematographic workers, scholars, & students maybe carefully take the
field into account while answering the questionnaire in case that they would
opportunely become participators in this questionnaire survey.
After modifying partial contents of the original questionnaire, the researcher
proceeded to spend around one month on the formal (the second) questionnaire survey
by means of the modified questionnaire on the basis of formerly projected 200
samples ( the truth are 208 samples). It is worth mentioning that the data collection in
whatever the former pretest or latter formal test was conducted on a Chinese
questionnaire survey website named SO JUMP. In advance, the researcher begged a
familiarized friend who is proficient in applying programs of formulating or editing
questionnaires offered by this site to adapt his questionnaire to the format required by
the site. Once the adaption of questionnaire were finalized and the new format of
questionnaire came into service via online (including on WeChat or Line and by
e-mail), the researcher and his invited collaborators must pay a close attention to the
growth in the totality of samples and the subtotal numbers of samples coming from
three different Sino large cities (Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou) whenever
necessary, in order to try to render certain that the totality of selected samples and the
subtotal numbers of those three kinds of regional samples therein wouldn’t outnumber
the projected quota. Nevertheless, eventually total quantity of realistic samples
61
surpassed the initially arranged number by 8, adding up to 208; moreover, the subtotal
quantity of three those regional samples also ultimately fluctuated a little in
comparison with their homologous purposed numbers. This result displayed that
sample control is a conundrum in nature, for the main reason that some questionnaire
survey websites are devoid of effective functions of sample controls. Regardless of
how many the eventually collected data and actually gathered samples are, the
researcher had to store the collected data well in the format of excel for next data
analysis.
3.7 Data Analysis and Interpretations
3.7.1 Hypothesis 1: Chinese respondents’ perception toward the influences of
marketing mix of the film ―Dying to Survive‖ (4Ps-product, price, place, and
promotion) (on their general satisfactions with the film) significantly affect their
gratifications obtained from watching the film in respect to general information
seeking, decision utility, interpersonal utility, entertainment, and para-social
interaction.
1) Independent variable: Chinese respondents’ perception toward the
influences of marketing mix (4Ps) of the film ―Dying to Survive.‖ (Interval scale)
2) Dependent variable: Gratification obtained from those 4
dimensions-general information seeking, decision utility, interpersonal utility,
entertainment, and para-social interaction. (Interval scale)
62
3) Statistical analysis: Multiple regression analysis
3.7.2 Hypothesis 1.1: Chinese respondents’ perception toward the influences
of marketing mix (4Ps) of the film ―Dying to Survive‖ significantly affect their
gratification obtained from watching the film ―Dying to Survive.‖
Hypothesis 1.2.1 Chinese respondents’ perception toward the influence of
marketing mix (4Ps) of the film ―Dying to Survive‖ significantly influence their
gratifications obtained in respect general information seeking from watching the film
―Dying to Survive.‖
Hypothesis 1.2.2 Chinese respondents’ perception toward the influence of
marketing mix (4Ps) of the film ―Dying to Survive‖ significantly influence their
gratifications obtained in respect decision utility from watching the film ―Dying to
Survive.‖
Hypothesis 1.2.3 Chinese respondents’ perception toward the influence of
marketing mix (4Ps) of the film ―Dying to Survive‖ significantly influence their
gratifications obtained in respect entertainment from watching the film ―Dying to
Survive.‖
Hypothesis 1.2.4 Chinese respondents’ perception toward the influence of
marketing mix (4Ps) of the film ―Dying to Survive‖ significantly influence their
gratifications obtained in respect interpersonal utility from watching the film ―Dying
to Survive.‖
Hypothesis 1.2.5 Chinese respondents’ perception toward the influence of
63
marketing mix (4Ps) of the film ―Dying to Survive‖ significantly influence their
gratifications obtained in respect para-social interaction from watching the film
―Dying to Survive.‖
3.8 Demographic Profiles of Samples
The descriptive analysis on the demographic profile of the 208 respondents
has revealed the following points:
As shown in Table 3.9, the descriptive analysis on respondents’ genders
revealed that the majority of the respondents are male (50.5%, n=105) and female
(49.5%, n=103), respectively.
Table 3.8: Demographic Profiles of Samples Based on Gender
Frequency Percent
Male 105 50.5
Female 103 49.5
Total 208 100
As shown in Table 3.10, the descriptive analysis on respondents’ ages
revealed that the majority of the respondents are more than 44 years old (52.4%,
n=109), followed by those who are 40-44 years old (12.5%, n=26), 20–24 years old
( 12.0%, n=25), 30-34 years old (8.7%, n=18), 25-29 years old (8.2% , n=17), and
35-39 years old (6.3%, n=13), respectively.
64
Table 3.9: Demographic Profiles of Samples Based on Age
Frequency Percent
20-24 years old 25 12.0
25-29 years old 17 8.2
30-34 years old 18 8.7
35-39 years old 13 6.3
40-44 years old 26 12.5
More than 44 years old 109 52.4
Total 208 100.0
As shown in Table 3.11 the descriptive analysis on respondents’ cities they
lived revealed that the majority of the respondents were currently living in Beijing
(35.6%, n=74), followed by those who were living in Shanghai (33.2%, n=69) and
Guangzhou (31.5%, n=65), respectively.
Table 3.10: Demographic Profiles of Samples Based on Cities They Lived
Frequency Percent
Beijing 74 35.6
Shanghai 69 33.2
Guangzhou 65 31.3
Total 208 100.0
CHAPTER 4
FINDINGS
This study used descriptive statistics and Simple Regression analysis to test
the hypotheses of the study. This chapter 4 is divided into two parts as follows:
4.1 Summaries of Descriptive Findings
4.2 Summaries of Testing Hypothesis Findings
4.1 Summaries of Descriptive Findings
To interpret the descriptive findings of marketing mix (4Ps), the researcher
used the following criteria to explain the Chinese viewers’ perceptions towards the
influences of the marketing mix or 4Ps of the film ―Dying to Survive‖.
Table 4.1: Criteria for Interpretations on the Influences of 4Ps
Opinion toward the statement Score Criteria Meaning
Highest Influence 5 4.21-5.00 Highest Influence
High Influence 4 3.41-4.20 High Influence
Neither High nor Low Influence 3 2.61-3.40 Not High nor Low
Influence
Low Influence 2 1.81-2.60 Low Influence
Lowest Influence 1 1.00-1.80 Lowest Influence
66
4.1.1 Descriptive Findings of Marketing Mix (4Ps) of the Film ―Dying to
Survive‖
As shown in Table 4.2, the descriptive analysis on marketing mix of the film
―Dying to Survive‖ revealed that the majority of the respondents perceived that
product had the highest influences on their overall satisfactions with the film
(Mean=3.55, SD=1.26), followed by price (Mean=2.69, SD=.94), places (Mean=2.37,
SD=.94), and promotions (Mean=2.03, SD=.82); however, they perceived that prices,
places, and promotions had low influences on their integral contentment with the film,
respectively.
Table 4.2: Means and Standard Deviations of Marketing Mix (4Ps) of the Film
N Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Deviation
Product 208 1.83 9.17 3.55 1.26
Price 208 1.00 5.00 2.69 .94
Place 208 1.00 5.00 2.37 .94
Promotion 208 1.00 5.00 2.03 .82
As shown in Table 4.3, the descriptive analysis on the influences of the
product indicated that the majority of the respondents perceived that the film as a
product had the highest influences on their overall satisfactions with the film.
However, when examining each key components of the film (products), technology
67
had the highest influences (Mean=2.17, SD=.91) compared with all of other
components referring to products, followed by recognitions of producers (Mean=1.96,
SD=.94), artistic styles (Mean=1.96, SD=.87), recognitions of directors (Mean=1.87,
SD=.83), film quality (Mean=1.78, SD=.80), and recognitions of celebrities
(Mean=1.74, SD=.79), respectively. The study suggested that Chinese respondents
perceived that technologies had neutral influences on them and perceived that
recognitions of producers, recognitions of director, artistic styles had low influences
on their integral satisfactions with film. While, recognitions of celebrities had the
lowest influences on their general satisfactions.
Table 4.3: Means and Standard Deviations of Product
N Minimum Maximum Sum Mean Std. Deviation
Product (Film) 208 1.83 9.17 737.50 3.55 1.26
1. Film Quality 208 1.00 5.00 370.00 1.78 .80
Content Quality 208 1.00 5.00 353.00 1.69 .73
Plots 208 1.000 5.000 366.00 1.75 .75
Actors/Actresses 208 1.00 5.00 391.00 1.88 .79
Acting Skills 208 1.00 5.00 378.00 1.82 .78
Cultural Values 208 1.00 5.00 354.00 1.70 .78
Resonance
Experiences 208 1.00 5.00 447.00 2.15 1.03
(Continued)
68
Table 4.3 (Continued): Means and Standard Deviations of Product
N Minimum Maximum Sum Mean Std. Deviation
2. Technology 208 1.00 5.00 451.00 2.17 .91
Editing 208 1.00 5.00 428.00 2.06 .86
Visual Effects 208 1.00 5.00 434.00 2.09 .85
Digital Sounds 208 1.00 5.00 438.00 2.10 .80
3. Artistic Styles 208 1.00 5.00 408.00 1.96 .87
4. Recognitions of
Directors 208 1.00 5.00 390.00 1.87 .83
5. Recognition of
Producers 208 1.00 5.00 407.00 1.96 .94
6. Recognized
Celebrities 208 1.00 5.00 362.00 1.74 .79
As shown in Table 4.4, the descriptive analysis on the influences of prices on
Chinese respondents’ holistic satisfactions with the film revealed that the majority of
the respondents perceived prices as low influences on their satisfactions (Mean=2.69,
SD=.94). When examining each key construct, Chinese respondents perceived
reasonable prices (Mean=2.47, SD=1.06) had the highest influences amongst these
three constructs regarding prices, followed by ticket prices set by the cinemas lines
(Mean=2.41, SD=1.03), and special discounts (Mean=2.14, SD=1.04), respectively.
The findings suggested that all of the key constructs had low influences on Chinese
respondents’ overall contentment with the film ―Dying to Survive‖.
69
Table 4.4: Means and Standard Deviations of Prices
N Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Deviation
Price 208 1.00 5.00 2.69 .94
1. Special Discounts 208 1.00 5.00 2.14 1.04
2. Ticket Prices Set by the
Cinemas Lines 208 1.00 5.00 2.41 1.03
3. Reasonable Prices 208 1.00 5.00 2.47 1.06
As shown in Table 4.5, the descriptive analysis on the influences of
places/distributions of the film found that locations of the theatres had the highest
influences (Mean=2.28, SD=.99) in only two components regarding places, followed
by conveniences of the theatres that showed the film (Mean=2.25, SD=.98). The
findings suggested that locations of the theatres and conveniences of the theatres that
showed the film had low influences on Chinese respondents’ overall satisfactions with
the film.
Table 4.5: Means and Standard Deviations of Places/Distributions
N Minimum Maximum Mean Std.
Deviation
Place/Distribution 208 1.00 5.00 2.37 .94
1. Conveniences of Theatres
that Showed the Film 208 1.00 5.00 2.25 .98
2. Locations of Theatres 208 1.00 5.00 2.28 .99
70
As shown in Table 4.6, the descriptive analysis on influences of promotions of
the film found that the majority of Chinese respondents perceived promotions as the
lowest influences on their general satisfactions with the film (Mean=2.03, SD=.82).
When examining each key construct of promotions, the findings revealed that online
and offline gossips about the film (Mean=2.45, SD=1.12) had the highest influences
amongst every key constructs concerning promotions, followed by outdoor and indoor
advertisings (Mean=2.44, SD=1.03) and public posters/billboards outdoor or indoor
of cinema (Mean=2.31, SD=.96), TVC/trailers on TV (Mean=2.21, SD=.94),
non-promotionally scholastic & non-scholastic reviews, scores online or offline
(Mean=2.15, SD=1.01), print publicities in magazine/tabloids/newspapers
(Mean=2.13, SD=.90), trailers or plot synopsis on film websites (Mean=2.04,
SD=.88), teaser advertisings online (Mean=2.10, SD=.92), and promotional movie
reviews (Mean=1.92, SD=.87), respectively. The findings suggested that all key
constructs had low influences on the Chinese respondents’ general contentment with
the film.
Table 4.6: Means and Standard Deviations of Promotions
N Minimum Maximum Mean Std.
Deviation
Promotion 208 1.00 5.00 2.03 .82
1. Teaser Advertisings Online 208 1.00 5.00 2.10 .92
(Continued)
71
Table 4.6 (Continued): Means and Standard Deviations of Promotions
N Minimum Maximum Mean Std.
Deviation
2. Trailers or Plot Synopsis on
Film Websites 208 1.00 5.00 2.04 .88
3. Promotional Movie
Reviews 208 1.00 5.00 1.92 .87
4. Online and Offline Gossips
about the Film 208 1.00 5.00 2.45 1.12
5. Public Posters/Billboards
Outdoors or in Cinemas 208 1.00 5.00 2.31 .96
6. Print Publicities in
Magazines/Tabloids/
Newspapers
208 1.00 5.00 2.13 .90
7. TVC/Trailers on TV 208 1.00 5.00 2.21 .94
8. Outdoor and Indoor
Advertisings 208 1.00 5.00 2.44 1.03
9. Non-Promotionally
Scholastic & Non-Scholastic
Reviews, Scores Online or
Offline
208 1.00 5.00 2.15 1.01
4.1.2 Descriptive Findings on Gratification Obtained from the Film ―Dying
to Survive‖
To interpret the descriptive findings of Chinese respondents’ gratifications
obtained from watching the film, the researcher used the following criteria to explain
72
the Chinese viewers’ gratifications obtained from watching the film ―Dying to
Survive‖ in Table 4.7.
Table 4.7: Criteria for Interpretations on the Gratifications Obtained from Watching
the Film ―Dying to Survive‖
Opinion toward the statement Score Criteria Meaning
Strongly Agree 5 4.21-5.00 Highest Gratifications
Agree 4 3.41-4.20 High Gratifications
Agree nor Disagree 3 2.61-3.40 Neutral Gratifications
Disagree 2 1.81-2.60 Low Gratifications
Strongly Disagree 1 1.00-1.80 Lowest Gratifications
As shown in Table 4.8, descriptive analysis on gratifications obtained from
viewing the film in different dimensions revealed that the majority of Chinese
respondents perceived gratifications obtained from viewing the film ―Dying to
Survive‖ as a low degree (Mean= 2.05, SD=.67). When examining each dimension of
the gratifications obtained from the film, the results revealed that there were highest
gratifications for respondents in interpersonal utility (Mean=2.20, SD=.70) compared
to gratifications obtained in four other dimensions, followed by gratifications in
entertainment (Mean=2.13, SD=.81), para-social interaction (Mean=2.03, SD=.72),
decision utility (Mean=2.01, SD=.69), and general information seeking (Mean=1.96,
SD=.69), respectively. The findings suggested that respondents had low gratifications
obtained for all dimensions.
73
Table 4.8: Means and Standard Deviations of Gratifications Obtained from Viewing
the Film ―Dying to Survive‖
N Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Deviation
Gratifications Obtained
from Viewing the Film 208 1.00 5.00 2.05 .67
1. General Information
Seeking 208 1.00 5.00 1.96 .69
2. Decision Utility 208 1.00 5.00 2.01 .69
3. Interpersonal Utility 208 1.00 5.00 2.20 .70
4. Entertainment 208 1.00 5.00 2.13 .81
5. Parasocial Interaction 208 1.00 5.00 2.03 .72
As shown in Table 4.9, descriptive analysis on gratifications obtained in
respect to general information seeking found that the majority of the respondents had
low gratifications obtained for general information seeking (Mean=1.97, SD=.72).
When examining each statement, the results revealed that respondents had the highest
gratifications in the statement, ―The film made me unsurprised with unexpected things
around me,‖ (Mean=2.23, SD=.93), followed by the statement, ―The film gave me the
information I can trust,‖ (Mean=1.93, SD=.82), and the statement, ―The film enabled
me to keep up with current issues and events‖ (Mean=1.74, SD=.76), had lower
gratifications respectively.
74
Table 4.9: Means and Standard Deviations of Gratifications Obtained from Viewing
the Film Based on General Information Seeking
N Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Deviation
General Information Seeking 208 1.00 5.00 1.9663 .71882
1. The film enabled me to
keep up with current issues
and events.
208 1.00 5.00 1.7404 .76133
2. The film made me
unsurprised with unexpected
things around me.
208 1.00 5.00 2.2260 .92830
3. The film gave me the
information I can trust. 208 1.00 5.00 1.9327 .81962
As shown in Table 4.10, descriptive analysis on gratifications obtained in
respect to decision utility found that the majority of the respondents had low
gratifications obtained for decision utility (Mean=2.02, SD=.81). When examining
each statement, the results revealed that respondents had the highest gratifications in
the statement, ―The film enabled me to find out what kind of job our cops in police
stations are doing,‖ (Mean=2.19, SD=.93), followed by even lower gratifications in
the two other statements, ―The film revealed about social issues affecting people like
myself.,‖ (Mean=1.78, SD=.73), ―The film reminded me of paying attentions to the
issues of Chinese medical care and legal systems‖ (Mean=1.68, SD=.76),
respectively.
75
Table 4.10: Means and Standard Deviations of Gratifications Obtained from Viewing
the Film Based on Decision Utility
N Minimum Maximum Mean Std.
Deviation
Decision Utility 208 1.00 5.00 2.02 .81
1. The film enabled me to find
out what kinds of job our cops
in police stations are doing.
208 1.00 5.00 2.19 .93
2. The film reminded me of
paying attentions to the issues
of Chinese medical and legal
systems.
208 1.00 5.00 1.68 .76
3. The film revealed about
social issues affecting people
like myself.
208 1.00 5.00 1.78 .73
As shown in Table 4.11, descriptive analysis on gratifications obtained in
respect to interpersonal utility found that the majority of the respondents had low
gratifications obtained for interpersonal utility (Mean=2.21, SD=.86). When
examining each statement, the results revealed that the statement, ―The film supports
my own viewpoints rather than other persons’,‖ acquired the highest gratifications
(Mean= 2.13, SD=.87), followed by the statement, ―The film provided me interesting
contents to talk about with other people‖ (Mean=1.95, SD=.82), and the statement,
―The film enabled me to transmit some valuable information to other people‖
76
(Mean=1.86, SD=.74), that obtained comparatively lower gratifications both.
Table 4.11: Means and Standard Deviations of Gratifications Obtained from Viewing
the Film Based on Interpersonal Utility
N Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Deviation
Interpersonal Utility 208 1.00 5.00 2.21 .86
1. The film supports my own
viewpoints rather than other
persons’.
208 1.00 5.00 2.13 .87
2. The film enabled me to
transmit some valuable
information to other people.
208 1.00 5.00 1.86 .74
3. The film provided me
interesting contents to talk
about with other people.
208 1.00 5.00 1.95 .82
As shown in Table 4.12, descriptive analysis on gratifications obtained in
respect to entertainment found that the majority of the respondents had low
gratifications obtained for entertainment (Mean=2.14, SD=.84). When examining
each statement, the results revealed that the statement, ―The film is often entertaining,‖
acquired the highest gratifications (Mean=2.50, SD=1.14), followed by the statement,
―The film is fairly exciting,‖ (Mean=1.99, SD=.96), and the statement, ―The film is
often dramatic‖ (Mean=1.88, SD=.82), had lower gratifications both.
77
Table 4.12: Means and Standard Deviations of Gratifications Obtained from Viewing
the Film Based on Entertainment
N Minimum Maximum Mean Std.
Deviation
Entertainment 208 1.00 5.00 2.14 .84
1. The film is often entertaining. 208 1.00 5.00 2.50 1.14
2. The film is often dramatic. 208 1.00 5.00 1.88 .82
3. The film is fairly exciting. 208 1.00 5.00 1.99 .96
As shown in Table 4.13, descriptive analysis on gratifications obtained in
respect to para-social interaction found that the majority of the respondents had low
gratifications obtained for para-social interaction (Mean=2.03, SD=.77). When
examining each statement, the results revealed that the statement, ―The performers in
the film are like people I know in my life,‖ had the highest gratifications (Mean=2.21,
SD=.96), followed by the statement, ―The film offered me to compare my own ideas
with other people,‖ (Mean=2.08, SD=.81), and the statement, ―The performers in the
film can portray the roles’ human quality‖ (Mean=1.80, SD=.70), had comparatively
lower gratifications both.
78
Table 4.13: Means and Standard Deviations of Gratifications Obtained from Viewing
the Film Based on Para-social Interaction
N Minimum Maximum Mean Std.
Deviation
Para-social Interaction 208 1.00 5.00 2.03 .77
1. The performers in the film can
portray the roles’ human quality. 208 1.00 5.00 1.80 .70
2. The film offered me to compare
my own ideas with other people’. 208 1.00 5.00 2.08 .81
3. The performers in the film are
like people I know in my life. 208 1.00 5.00 2.21 .96
4.2 Summaries of Hypothesis Testing Findings
There is only one hypothesis for the study. The multiple regression analysis
was used to test the hypothesis with the confidence level of .05.
Hypothesis 1: Chinese respondents’ perceptions towards the impacts of
marketing mix of the film ―Dying to Survive‖ (4Ps-product, price, place, and
promotion) (on their general satisfactions with the film) significantly influence their
gratifications obtained from watching the film in respect to general information
seeking, decision utility, interpersonal utility, entertainment, and para-social
interaction.
Hypothesis 1.1: Chinese respondents’ perceptions toward the impacts of
marketing mix (4Ps) of the film ―Dying to Survive‖ (on their general satisfactions)
79
significantly influence their gratification obtained from watching the film ―Dying to
Survive.‖ (The Global Hypothesis)
As shown in Table 4.14, the Regression analysis on marketing mix (4Ps)
showed that the influences of marketing mix (4Ps) of the film (on respondents’
general satisfactions) can explain their gratifications obtained at the rate of 67.3
(R²= .673, p< .05) in Summary Model. The influences of all marketing mix factors
(on respondents’ integral satisfactions) significantly affect Chinese respondents’
gratifications obtained from watching the film ―Dying to Survive‖ (F (4,203) =104.267,
p<0.05) in ANOVA table. When examining influences of each factor in the
Coefficient table, the findings revealed that impacts of product (on their general
satisfactions) had the highest influences on their gratifications obtained from watching
the film (Beta=.347**, p<.05), followed by influences of promotions (Beta=.104,
p>.05), influences of places (Beta=.050, p>.05), and influences of prices (Beta=.018,
p>.05), respectively. The findings suggested that impacts of all factors if integrated
together will significantly influence their gratifications and impacts of products are
the highest predictor of their gratifications obtained from watching the film ―Dying to
Survive.‖
80
Table 4.14: Regression Analysis on the Influences of Marketing Mix (4Ps) on the
Gratifications Obtained from Watching the Film
Summary Model
Model R R² Adjusted
R²
Change Statistics
R²
Change
F
Change
df1 df2 Sig. F
Change
1 .820a .673 .666 .673 104.267 4 203 .000
ANOVAa
Model Sum of Squares df Mean
Square
F Sig.
1
Regression 64.239 4 16.060 104.267 .000b
Residual 31.267 203 .154
Total 95.506 207
a. Dependent Variable: Gratification obtained from Watching the Film
b. Predictors: (Constant), Promotion, Price, Product, Place
Coefficients
Model Unstandardized
Coefficients
Standardized
Coefficients
t Sig.
B Std. Error Beta
1
(Constant) .431 .085 5.079 .000
Product .347 .036 .645 9.515 .000
Price .018 .050 .025 .357 .721
Place .050 .054 .070 .931 .353
Promotion .104 .063 .126 1.657 .099
81
Hypothesis 1.2: Chinese respondents’ perceptions toward the impacts of
marketing mix (4Ps) of the film ―Dying to Survive‖ (on respondents’ general
satisfactions) significantly influence their gratification obtained in respect to general
information seeking, decision utility, interpersonal utility, entertainment, and
para-social interaction from watching the film ―Dying to Survive.‖ (The Divisional
Hypothesis)
Hypothesis 1.2.1 Chinese respondents’ perceptions toward the impacts of
marketing mix (4Ps) of the film ―Dying to Survive‖ (on respondents’ general
satisfactions) significantly influence their gratifications obtained in respect general
information seeking from watching the film ―Dying to Survive.‖
As shown in Table 4.15, the Regression analysis on marketing mix (4Ps) showed
that the influences of marketing mix (4Ps) of the film (on respondents’ integral
satisfactions) can explain their gratifications obtained in respect to general
information seeking at the rate of 55.00 (R²=.550, p<.05) in Summary Model. The
influences of all marketing mix factors (on respondents’ holistic satisfactions) can
significantly influence Chinese respondents’ gratifications obtained in respect to
general information seeking from watching the film ―Dying to Survive‖
(F(4,203)=62.025, p<0.05) in ANOVA table. When examining influences of each factor
in the Coefficient table, the findings revealed that impacts of products had the highest
influences on Chinese respondents’ general information seeking from watching the
film (Beta =.303**, p<.05), followed by influences of promotions (Beta=.072, p>.05),
82
influences of prices (Beta=.069, p>.05), and influences of places (Beta=.050, p>.05),
respectively. The findings suggested that influences of 4Ps if integrated together will
significantly sway their gratifications obtained for general information seeking and
impacts of products are the highest predictor of their gratifications obtained for
general information seeking from watching the film ―Dying to Survive.‖
Table 4.15: Regression Analysis on the Influences of Marketing Mix (4Ps) on the
Gratifications Obtained in Respect to General Information Seeking from
Watching the Film
Summary Model
Model R R² Adjusted
R²
Change Statistics
R² Change F Change df1 df2 Sig. F Change
1 .742a .550 .541 .550 62.025 4 203 .000
ANOVAa
Model Sum of
Squares
df Mean
Square
F Sig.
1
Regression 55.297 4 13.824 62.025 .000b
Residual 45.245 203 .223
Total 100.542 207
a. Dependent Variable: General Information Seeking
b. Predictors: (Constant), Promotion, Price, Product, Place
(Continued)
83
Table 4.15 (Continued): Regression Analysis on the Influences of Marketing Mix (4Ps)
on the Gratifications Obtained in Respect to General
Information Seeking from Watching the Film
Coefficients
Model Unstandardized
Coefficients
Standardized
Coefficients
t Sig.
B Std. Error Beta
1
(Constant) .459 .102 4.488 .000
Product .303 .044 .550 6.920 .000
Price .069 .061 .093 1.143 .255
Place .050 .065 .067 .763 .446
Promotion .072 .076 .085 .950 .343
Hypothesis 1.2.2 Chinese respondents’ perceptions toward the impacts of
marketing mix (4Ps) of the film ―Dying to Survive‖ (on respondents’ overall
satisfactions) significantly influence their gratifications obtained in respect decision
utility from watching the film ―Dying to Survive.‖
As shown in Table 4.16, the Regression analysis on marketing mix (4Ps)
showed that the influences of marketing mix (4Ps) of the film (on respondents’
integral satisfactions) can explain their gratifications obtained in respect to decision
utility at the rate of 54.40 (R² =.544**, p<.05) in Summary Model. The impacts of all
marketing mix factors (on respondents’ overall satisfactions) can significantly
influence Chinese respondents’ gratifications obtained in respect to decision utility
84
from watching the film ―Dying to Survive‖ (F(4,203)= 60.557, p<0.05) in ANOVA table.
When examining influences of each factor in the Coefficient table, the findings
revealed that impacts of products had the highest influences on their decision utility
from watching the film (Beta=.315**, p<.05), followed by influences of promotions
(Beta=.181**, p<.05), influences of places (Beta=-.032, p>.05), and influences of
prices (Beta=.018, p>.05), respectively. The findings suggested that influences of 4Ps
if integrated together will significantly affect Chinese respondents’ gratifications
obtained for decision utility, and influences of products & promotions are the
significant predictors of their gratifications obtained decision utility from watching
the film ―Dying to Survive.‖ However, they perceived that influences of places had
negative effects on their gratifications obtained for decision utility.
85
Table 4.16: Regression Analysis on the Influences of Marketing Mix (4Ps) on the
Gratifications Obtained in Respect to Utility Decision from Watching the
Film.
Summary Model
Model R R² Adjusted
R²
Change Statistics
R² Change F Change df1 df2 Sig. F
Change
1 .738a .544 .535 .544 60.557 4 203 .000
ANOVAa
Model Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig.
1
Regression 54.126 4 13.531 60.557 .000b
Residual 45.361 203 .223
Total 99.487 207
a. Dependent Variable: Decision Utility
b. Predictors: (Constant), Promotion, Price, Product, Place
Coefficients
Model Unstandardized
Coefficients
Standardized
Coefficients
t Sig.
B Std. Error Beta
1
(Constant) .401 .102 3.919 .000
Product .315 .044 .574 7.170 .000
Price .018 .061 .025 .301 .764
Place -.032 .065 -.043 -.491 .624
Promotion .181 .076 .214 2.382 .018
86
Hypothesis 1.2.3 Chinese respondents’ perceptions toward the influences
of marketing factors mix (4Ps) of the film ―Dying to Survive‖ (on respondents’
integral satisfactions) significantly affect their gratifications obtained in respect
entertainment from watching the film ―Dying to Survive.‖
As shown in Table 4.17, the Regression analysis on marketing mix (4Ps)
showed that the influences of marketing mix (4Ps) of the film (on respondents’
integral satisfactions) can explain their gratifications obtained in respect to
entertainment at the rate of 52.60 (R²=.526**, p<.05) in Summary Model. The
influences of all marketing mix factors (on respondents’ integral satisfactions) can
significantly influence Chinese respondents’ gratifications obtained in respect to
entertainment from watching the film ―Dying to Survive‖ (F(4,203)=56.276**, p< 0.05)
in ANOVA table. When examining influences of each factor in the Coefficient table,
the findings revealed that impacts of products are a significant predictor of
entertainment from watching the film (Beta=.384**, p<.05), however, influences of
promotions (Beta=.079, p>.05), influences of places (Beta=.084, p>.05), and
influences of prices (Beta=-.018, p>.05), respectively. The findings suggested that
influences of 4Ps if integrated together will significantly influence their gratifications
obtained for entertainment, and impacts of products are the significant predictor of
their gratifications obtained decision utility from watching the film ―Dying to Survive.‖
However, they perceived that influences of price had negative effects on their
gratifications obtained for entertainment.
87
Table 4.17: Regression Analysis on the Influences of Marketing Mix (4Ps) on the
Gratifications Obtained in Respect to Entertainment from Watching the
Film
Summary Model
Model R R² Adjusted
R²
Change Statistics
R² Change F Change df1 df2 Sig. F
Change
1 .725a .526 .516 .526 56.276 4 203 .000
ANOVAa
Model Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig.
1
Regression 71.101 4 17.775 56.276 .000b
Residual 64.120 203 .316
Total 135.221 207
a. Dependent Variable: Entertainment
b. Predictors: (Constant), Promotion, Price, Product, Place
Coefficients
Model Unstandardized
Coefficients
Standardized
Coefficients
t Sig.
B Std. Error Beta
1
(Constant) .445 .122 3.655 .000
Product .384 .052 .601 7.359 .000
Price -.018 .072 -.020 -.243 .809
Place .084 .078 .097 1.079 .282
Promotion .079 .090 .080 .873 .384
88
Hypothesis 1.2.4 Chinese respondents’ perceptions toward the influences
of marketing factors mix (4Ps) of the film ―Dying to Survive‖ (on respondents’
integral satisfactions) significantly affect their gratifications obtained in respect
interpersonal utility from watching the film ―Dying to Survive.‖
As shown in Table 4.18, the Regression analysis on marketing mix (4Ps)
showed that the influences of marketing mix (4Ps) of the film (on respondents’
integral satisfactions) can explain their gratifications obtained in respect to
interpersonal utility at the rate of 57.80 (R²=.578**, p<.05) in Summary Model. The
influences of all marketing mix factors (on respondents’ integral satisfactions) can
significantly influence Chinese respondents’ gratifications obtained in respect to
interpersonal utility from watching the film ―Dying to Survive‖ (F(4,203)=69.634**,
p<0.05) in ANOVA table. When examining influences of each factor in the
Coefficient table, the findings revealed that impacts of products are a significant
predictor of interpersonal utility from watching the film (Beta=.332**, p<.05),
however, influences of promotions (Beta=.135, p>.05), influences of places
(Beta=.057, p>.05), and influences of prices (Beta=-.029, p>.05), respectively. The
findings suggested that influences of 4Ps if integrated together will significantly sway
their gratifications obtained for interpersonal utility and impacts of products are the
significant predictor of their gratifications obtained interpersonal utility from
watching the film ―Dying to Survive.‖ However, they perceived that influences of
prices had a negative effect on their gratifications obtained for interpersonal utility.
89
Table 4.18: Regression Analysis on the Influences of Marketing Mix (4Ps) on the
Gratifications Obtained in Respect to Interpersonal Utility from Watching
the Film.
Summary Model
Model R R² Adjuste
d R²
Change Statistics
R²
Change
F Change df1 df2 Sig. F Change
1 .761a .578 .570 .578 69.634 4 203 .000
ANOVAa
Model Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig.
1
Regression 58.811 4 14.703 69.634 .000b
Residual 42.862 203 .211
Total 101.673 207
a. Dependent Variable: Interpersonal Utility
b. Predictors: (Constant), Promotion, Price, Product, Place
Coefficients
Model Unstandardized
Coefficients
Standardized
Coefficients
t Sig.
B Std. Error Beta
1
(Constant) .442 .099 4.446 .000
Product .332 .043 .599 7.782 .000
Price -.029 .059 -.038 -.486 .627
Place .057 .063 .076 .899 .370
Promotion .135 .074 .158 1.836 .068
90
Hypothesis 1.2.5 Chinese respondents’ perceptions toward the influences
of marketing factors mix (4Ps) of the film ―Dying to Survive‖ (on respondents’
integral satisfactions) significantly affect their gratifications obtained in respect
para-social interaction from watching the film ―Dying to Survive.‖
As shown in Table 4.19, the Regression analysis on marketing mix (4Ps)
showed that the influences of marketing mix (4Ps) of the film (on respondents’ overall
satisfactions) can explain their gratifications obtained in respect to para-social
interaction at the rate of 62.9 (R²=.629**, p<.05) in Summary Model. The influences
of all marketing mix factors (on respondents’ overall satisfactions) can significantly
influence Chinese respondents’ gratifications obtained in respect to para-social
interaction from watching the film ―Dying to Survive‖ (F (4,203)=85.987**, p<0.05) in
ANOVA table. When examining influences of each factor in the Coefficient table, the
findings revealed that impacts of products (Beta=.330**, p<.05) and impacts of
promotions (Beta=.157**, p<.05) are significant predictors of para-social interaction
from watching the film, however, influences of prices (Beta=.084, p>.05) and
influences of places (Beta=-.022, p>.05) are not significant predictors. The findings
suggested that influences of 4Ps if integrated together will significantly sway their
gratifications obtained for para-social interaction, and influences of products and
promotions are the significant predictors of their gratifications obtained para-social
interaction from watching the film ―Dying to Survive.‖ However, they perceived that
influences of places had negative effects on their gratifications obtained for
91
para-social interaction.
Table 4.19: Regression Analysis on the Influences of Marketing Mix (4Ps) on the
Gratifications Obtained in Respect to Para-social Interaction from
Watching the Film.
Summary Model
Model R R² Adjusted R² Change Statistics
R² Change F Change df1 df2 Sig. F
Change
1 .793a .629 .622 .629 85.987 4 203 .000
ANOVAa
Model Sum of
Squares
df Mean
Square
F Sig.
1
Regression 66.886 4 16.722 85.987 .000b
Residual 39.477 203 .194
Total 106.363 207
a. Dependent Variable: Para-social Interaction
b. Predictors: (Constant), Promotion, Price, Product, Place
(Continued)
92
Table 4.19 (Continued): Regression Analysis on the Influences of Marketing Mix (4Ps)
on the Gratifications Obtained in Respect to Para-social
Interaction from Watching the Film.
Coefficients
Model Unstandardized
Coefficients
Standardized
Coefficients
t Sig.
B Std. Error Beta
1
(Constant) .367 .095 3.847 .000
Product .330 .041 .582 8.067 .000
Price .084 .057 .110 1.491 .137
Place -.022 .061 -.029 -.361 .719
Promotion .157 .071 .180 2.219 .028
CHAPTER 5
SUMMARIES AND DISCUSSIONS
The last chapter chiefly summarized the findings and discussions of the
research; furthermore, it also reported the limitations of the study and make future
recommendations for future applications and researches. Thus the chapter is divided
into 6 sections:
5.1 Summaries and Discussions of Descriptive Analysis
5.2 Summaries and Discussions of Hypotheses Testing Findings
5.3 Conclusions of Research
5.4 Limitations of Study
5.5 Recommendations for Future Applications
5.6 Recommendations for Future Researches
5.1 Summaries and Discussions of Descriptive Analysis
Considering that ―Dying to Survive‖ is a both thematically grave and
profound as well as life-breathing Sino fiction film, most surveyed spectators’ ages
were over 44 years old (52.4%, n=109); additionally, respondents whose age span was
from 40 to 44 years old (12.5%, n=26) made up the second highest proportion of
totality; surveyed youngsters whose age bracket was from 20 to 24 years old (12.0%,
n=25) took up the similar scale to those middle-aged respondents aged from 40 to 44
94
years old. The film ―Dying to Survive‖ was widely recognized as a Sinitic feature
movie worth watching in the year of 2018, most spectators of the film were
middle-aged and senior people yet as indicated by the collected data regarding age
ascribed to the domain of demographic information. Moreover, most respondents
came from Beijing (35.6%, n=74) and around one third of surveyed viewers resided in
Shanghai (33.2%, n=69), the remainders lived in Guangzhou (31.5%, n=65). So it
proclaimed that more movie spectators from Chinese municipalities (Beijing, Tianjin,
Shanghai & Chongqing) were passionate about this uncommon Sino movie
concentrating on Chinese conscientiousness.
With regards to the respondents’ perceptions towards the impacts of
marketing factors mix on their overall satisfactions, the collected data for the overall
impacts of product (on respondents’ integral satisfactions) in respondents’ perceptions
(Mean=3.55, SD=1.26) indicated that product is an essentially foremost influential
marketing factor for audiences’ contentment with films that may be categorized into
special media. Nevertheless, prices (Mean=2.69, SD=.94) exerted comparatively
neutral impacts on audiences’ general satisfactions with the film in surveyed viewers’
perceptions, while places (Mean=2.37, SD=.94), & promotions (Mean=2.03, SD=.82)
played low influences on surveyed viewers’ holistic satisfactions with the movie in
surveyed viewers’ perceptions. This finding was consistent with a widespread
celebrated dictum that is ―Content is the king‖, earliest said by the founder of
Microsoft, Bill Gates, so reputedly, numerous CEOs of the date regard the sentence as
95
a golden rule suggesting the significance of contextual marketing, and invest
proliferous capitals on contemporary digital contextual marketing (aka. inbound
marketing). In accordance with a statistical report of British CMA, there were around
20% of marketing budgets expended on contextual marketing globally in each past
year prior to 2015. Subsequently, the researcher needs to elaborately summarize and
discuss the impacts of each of marketing factors mix (4Ps) on audiences’ general
satisfactions with the movie. Initially, in every subdivision elements referring to
products, the gathered data demonstrated that technology (Mean=2.17, SD=.91)
exerted top-drawer influences on audiences’ general gratifications compared with
other elements on products, thus this finding confirmed that varieties of special
audio-visual effects in a feature film dependent on ultramodern technologies most
drew broad Chinese movie watchers’ attentions, nevertheless, it mirrored that
extensive Sino urban moviegoers’ cinematic connoisseurship especially in
appreciating cine de arte still need to be improved. But the researcher found that every
elements belonging to the scope of products including technology, recognitions of
producers, artistic styles, recognitions of director, film quality, and recognitions of
celebrities, played fairly low influences on respondents’ satisfactions in their
perceptions to a large extent through statistical analysis; herein, the descriptive
analysis indicated that recognitions of celebrities (Mean=1.74, SD=.79) merely owned
the rocker-bottom influences on audiences’ integral satisfactions in actuality. Secondly,
the descriptive analysis on the impacts of marketing factors mix demonstrated that
96
prices (Mean=2.69, SD=.94) exerted some lower influences on audiences’ overall
satisfactions with the film than products did; furthermore, every components
concerning prices including special discounts & unified ticket prices set by cinema
lines and reasonable prices were proved to play quite low influences on audiences’
overall contentment in respondents’ perceptions. It coincided with what the researcher
anticipated in light of realities for the Chinese current movie market. Thirdly, the
descriptive analysis show that places of distributions (Mean=2.37, SD=.94) played
even lesser influences on audiences’ holistic contentment compared with factors of
products & prices; two main subdivision elements namely conveniences of the
theatres in where spectators screened the movie and locations of the theatres were
attested to exert fairly minor influences on respondents’ holistic satisfactions in their
minds. The researcher acquired these statistically analytical results on the impacts of
places without cap the climax. Finally, on a whole, descriptive analysis demonstrated
that promotions (Mean=2.03, SD=.82) were the minimum influential factor for
audiences’ overall satisfactions; nonetheless, this factor was subdivided into several
small elements including teaser ads online, trailers or plots on cinematic websites,
promotional movie reviews, online & offline gossips about the film, public
posters/billboards outside or inside cinemas, print publicities (in magazines, tabloids
& newspapers), TVC/trailers on TV, outdoor & indoor ads, and non-promotional or
non-scholar movie reviews and scores online & offline. However, the descriptive
analysis revealed some incredible and unexpected results for the researcher: online &
97
offline gossips about the film (Mean=2.45, SD=1.12) played the maximum impacts on
respondents’ overall satisfactions in their mindsets in comparisons with other eight
elements with regards to promotions. This point demonstrated that appreciable
quantities of Chinese audiences were still susceptible to (or appealed to) quaint,
grotesque and indecent hearsays or grapevines about star performers, directors,
producers & film per se hitherto. Besides, outdoor & indoor ads (Mean=2.44,
SD=1.03) also exerted rather high influences on surveyed viewers’ integral
satisfactions in these viewers’ perceptions, only ranking second to online & offline
gossips about the film; public posters/billboards outside or inside cinemas
(Mean=2.31, SD=.96) played the third highest influences on respondents’ integral
gratifications amongst all of elements on promotions. Nevertheless, out of the blue,
promotional movie reviews (Mean=1.92, SD=.87) exerted the minimum sways over
surveyed audiences’ general satisfactions among every elements on the aspect of
promotion, it indicated an anomalous case contrasting with prior similar film
marketing researches. The researcher merely can explain underlying cause of this
phenomenon as that current movie spectators have conceived psychological
inversions against intentionally promotional film reviews & WOM released by
marketing side for a movie.
The following part is to summarize and discuss descriptive analysis on
gratifications obtained from viewing the film in five dimensions including general
information seeking, decisional utility, entertainment, interpersonal utility, &
98
para-social interaction. On the whole, most Sino respondents perceived that
gratifications obtained from viewing the film ―Dying to Survive‖ (Mean=2.05,
SD=.67) were to a low degree through statistical analysis. Specifically, the researcher
found that respondents might acquire the maximum gratifications in interpersonal
utility from the film (Mean=2.20, SD=.70); followed by gratifications in
entertainment (Mean=2.13, SD=.81); para-social interactions (Mean=2.03, SD=.72);
decision utility (Mean=2.01, SD=.69); cap the climax, they had only reaped the
minimum gratifications in general information seeking from the film (Mean=1.96,
SD=.69). Subsequently, the researcher has to discuss each dimension of surveyed
audiences’ gratifications obtained minutely. With regards to gratifications in general
information seeking, respondents obtained the maximal gratifications on the statement
that ―The film made me unsurprised with unexpected things around me.‖ (Mean=2.23,
SD= .93) amongst all of three representations about gratifications in general
information seeking; it merely demonstrated that when this film conveyed vast
audiences this message that there were such much undesirable and unfortunate things
and matters in this mortal life including incurable diseases, enormous expenses for
imported anti-inflammatory drugs, supreme but stifling, inhuman and inequitable
public powers, an inadequate national health care system, as well as ultimately
unpredictable hour of doom, audiences only realized that they would have to get
accustomed to confront or escape from those if one day they would encounter those
misfortunes and miseries indeed. However, the respondents’ gratifications obtained in
99
other two statements (on gratifications in GIS) that are ―The film gave me the
information I can trust‖ (Mean=1.93, SD=.82) and ―The film enabled me to keep up
with current issues and events‖ (Mean=1.74, SD=.76) were quite low both. Actually,
these two representations were real cruxes on gratifications obtained in GIS (general
information seeking). With reference to decisional utility, surveyed viewers’
gratifications in the statement ―The film enabled me to find out what kind of job our
cops in police stations are doing,‖ (Mean=2.19, SD=.93) was the highest amongst
every three statements on gratifications obtained in decisional utility, followed by
lower gratifications in the two other statements (on gratifications in DU) that are ―The
film revealed about social issues affecting people like myself.‖(Mean=1.78, SD=.73)
and ―The film reminded of me to pay attention to the issues of Chinese medical care
and legal systems‖ (Mean=1.68, SD=.73). Although each of three questions about
gratifications in DU was pertinent on the contents of the film, the statement which
maximally gratified those respondents amongst all of three ones regarding GO in DU,
was more concrete than the two other ones. Besides, the statement that brought forth
second highest gratifications seemed too vague and abstract; the third one that
minimally gratified respondents involved in momentous national issues, thus
conservative and sensitive Chinese viewers were more willing to avoid making a
straightforward answer to this question or would rather give a directly negative reply
to this question statement under the effects of their previous living experiences along
with cautiously self-protecting mindsets. Thus present statistically analytical results
100
for answers to every item of question statement on gratifications in DU weren’t too
surprising for the researcher. Concerning interpersonal utility, the representation
which is ―The film supports my own viewpoints rather ones of other
person.‖(Mean=2.13, SD=.87) imparted the uppermost gratifications amongst every
three statements on gratifications in interpersonal utility. Moreover, the two other
statements ―The film provided me interesting contents to talk about with other people‖
(Mean=1.95, SD=.82) and ―The film enabled me to transmit some valuable
information to other people‖ (Mean=1.86, SD=.74) naturally brought about lower
gratifications to respondents than the first statement did. The three representations
emphasized that the film transmitted meaningful (or valuable) and interesting
communicative information for daily interacting with others. Touching upon
entertainment, it was incredible that the descriptive analysis show that respondents
obtained the highest gratifications with relevant statement ―The film is often
entertaining.‖ (Mean=2.50, SD=1.14), but the film owns some severe themes as a
matter of facts. The other two representations about entertainment, ―The film is fairly
exciting,‖ (Mean=1.99, SD=.96) and ―The film is often dramatic‖ (Mean=1.88,
SD=.82) elicited relatively lower gratifications for the respondents. Finally, with
respects to para-social interaction, the relevant statement, ―The performers in the film
are like people I know in my life,‖ aroused the highest gratifications (Mean=2.21,
SD=.96) for the respondents amongst all of three statements on gratifications in
para-social interaction. Exceptionally, the other two representations on the
101
gratifications in PI, ―The film offered me to compare my own ideas with other people,‖
(Mean=2.08, SD=.81), and ―The performers in the film can portray the roles’ human
quality‖ (Mean=1.80, SD=.70) comparatively lowly gratified respondents’
psychological needs respectively. Perhaps because the statement that gave rise of
topmost gratifications for surveyed audiences are more specific and have more access
to respondents’ everyday living contexts than the two other ones in essence.
5.2 Summaries and Discussions of the Hypotheses Testing Findings
Despite this survey instruments merely tested sole hypothesis, this hypothesis
was also divided into five small fractional hypotheses. Actually, the researcher was
supposed to test not only the global hypothesis but also those five divisional
hypotheses.
Hypothesis 1: Chinese respondents’ perceptions toward the impacts of
marketing factors mix of the film ―Dying to Survive‖ (4Ps-product, price, place, and
promotion) (on respondents’ general satisfactions with film) significantly influence
their gratifications obtained from watching the film in respects to general information
seeking, decision utility, interpersonal utility, entertainment, and para-social
interaction (General Statement).
Hypothesis 1.1: Chinese respondents’ perceptions towards the impacts of
marketing mix (4Ps) of the film ―Dying to Survive‖ (on their general satisfactions)
significantly influence their gratifications obtained from watching the film ―Dying to
102
Survive.‖ (The gross hypothesis)
Hypothesis 1.1 findings showed that the influences of marketing mix (4Ps)
of the film can explain their gratifications obtained from viewing the film at the rate
of 67.3 (R²= .673, p< .05). The influences of all marketing mix factors significantly
affect Chinese respondents’ gratifications obtained from watching the film ―Dying to
Survive‖ (F(4,203)=104.267, p<0.05).When examining influences of each factor in
the Coefficient table, the findings revealed that impacts of product had the highest
influences on their gratifications obtained from watching the film (Beta=.347**,
p<.05), followed by influences of promotions (Beta=.104, p>.05), influences of places
(Beta=.050, p>.05), and influences of prices (Beta=.018, p>.05), respectively. The
findings suggested that impacts of all factors if integrated together will significantly
influence their gratifications and impacts of products are the highest predictor of their
gratifications obtained from watching the film ―Dying to Survive.‖
In previous researches on influences of marketing factors mix on consumers’
purchase decisions (including movie viewers’ decisions to purchase tickets), even if
products weren’t the foremost factor attracting customers to make purchase decisions,
products were the most indispensable factor alluring customers to purchase (tangible
commodities or intangible services). For filmic marketing factors mix, places of
distributions might be the most influential factor appealing to viewers to make
purchase decisions (Mohammadian & Habibi, 2012; Suwarto, 2012). In addition,
generally, products and promotions seem most likely dominating or at least
103
considerable factors influencing customers’ purchase decisions despite this point is
not absolutely right (Suwarto, 2012); furthermore, ticket prices of movie sometimes
are also attested as an influential or decisive factors alluring consumers’ purchase
decisions in some past studies on cinematic marketing communications but they
aren’t in some other previous researches (Mohammadian & Habibi, 2012; Lasut &
Tumewu, 2015). However, this research mainly ranges over relationships between
influences of marketing factors mix for a film (on audiences’ general satisfactions)
and audiences’ gratifications obtained in 5 dimensions through viewing the movie,
thus this signifies the researcher was supposed to seek out viewers who had watched
the film in cinemas at least once as attendees of the relevant investigations for the
study and marketing factors mix of the film probably influenced those surveyed
movie viewers’ purchase decisions to certain extents at least. After all, the movie
viewers’ behaviors of purchasing cinema tickets are a precondition of their
satisfactions generated after watching the film. Nevertheless, subsequently, each of
those marketing factors mix drawing customers to resolve on purchasing tickets won’t
necessarily influence moviegoers’ general satisfactions. For example, it was
seemingly fairly unintelligible that places and promotions probably played exactly
apparent roles on viewers’ holistic satisfactions with the film owing to scarcity of
convincing reasons. In fact, we can’t assure if places and promotions influence movie
spectators’ satisfactions respectively or not as well as to how large degree places and
promotions can sway audiences’ general satisfactions if they can without any
104
scientific and cogent methods of proof. Therefore, the researcher utilized quantitative
research instruments including questionnaire survey and statistical analysis (SPSS) to
survey realistic circumstances of every marketing factors influencing the surveyed
movie spectators’ broad satisfactions (with the film) and infer if this core hypothesis
(H1.1) is founded or not, by the way, deduce which marketing factor’s impacts (on
respondents’ overall satisfactions) will significantly influence respondents’
5-dimensional gratifications obtained via viewing the film. Actually, the results of
testing H1.1 proved that, little more than impacts of products (on respondents’ integral
contentment) significantly played the most salient influences on their gratifications
obtained indeed, which accorded with the ultimately inferential consequences that the
researcher intuitively foreboded beforehand. Additionally, under the circumstances
that these testing results reflected and in line with Social Exchange Theory (Thibaut
& Kelly, 1959), the researcher deduces that most respondents will likely continue to
watch the film wherever once again at least because they felt it worthy to watch the
movie for the first time, in other words, the rewards they harvested from viewing the
film in movie theatres were higher than costs (money and time) they paid out
therefrom. Or some of those respondents would be willing to choose the new
cinematic works directed or supervised by the director of the film ―Dying to Survive‖
due to certain limited influences from the recognitions of the young director of the
film (who was born in 1985).
Hypothesis 1.2 : Chinese respondents’ perceptions toward the impacts of
105
marketing mix (4Ps) of the film ―Dying to Survive‖ (on respondents’ general
satisfactions) significantly influence their gratifications obtained in respects to general
information seeking, decision utility, interpersonal utility, entertainment, and
para-social interaction from watching the film ―Dying to Survive.‖ (5 divisional
hypotheses).
Hypothesis 1.2.1 Chinese respondents’ perceptions toward the impacts of
marketing factors mix (4Ps) of the film ―Dying to Survive‖ (on respondents’ general
satisfactions) significantly influence their gratifications obtained in respect general
information seeking from watching the film ―Dying to Survive‖.
The findings showed that the influences of marketing mix (4Ps) of the film
can explain their gratifications obtained in respect to general information seeking at
the rate of 55.00 (R²=.550, p<.05) in Summary Model. The influences of all
marketing mix factors can significantly influence Chinese respondents’ gratifications
obtained in respect to general information seeking from watching the film ―Dying to
Survive‖ (F(4,203)=62.025, p<0.05). When examining influences of each factor, the
findings revealed that impacts of products had the highest influences on Chinese
respondents’ general information seeking from watching the film (Beta=.303**,
p<.05), followed by influences of promotions (Beta=.072, p>.05), influences of prices
(Beta=.069, p>.05), and influences of places (Beta=.050, p>.05), respectively. The
findings suggested that influences of 4Ps if integrated together will significantly sway
their gratifications obtained for general information seeking and impacts of products
106
are the highest predictor of their gratifications obtained for general information
seeking from watching the film ―Dying to Survive.‖ It sufficed to explicitly illustrate
that audiences’ GO in GIS derived from contents of products per se to an exceedingly
large extent.
Hypothesis 1.2.2 Chinese respondents’ perceptions towards the impacts of
marketing factors mix (4Ps) of the film ―Dying to Survive‖ (on respondents’ overall
satisfactions) significantly influence their gratifications obtained in respect of decision
utility from watching the film ―Dying to Survive.‖
When examining the impact of 4Ps on their gratifications, the findings
revealed that impacts of products had the highest influences on their decision utility
from watching the film (Beta=.315**, p<.05), followed by influences of promotions
(Beta=.181**, p<.05), influences of places (Beta=-.032, p>.05), and influences of
prices (Beta=.018, p>.05), respectively. The findings suggested that influences of 4Ps
if integrated together will significantly affect Chinese respondents’ gratifications
obtained for decision utility, and influences of products & promotions are the
significant predictors of their gratifications obtained decision utility from watching
the film ―Dying to Survive.‖ However, they perceived that influences of places had
negative effects on their gratifications obtained for decision utility.
These findings suggested that the impacts of each factor of marketing mix
(on respondents’ holistic satisfactions) played differentiated influences on respondents’
GO in DU in spite of significant influences on respondents’ GO in DU that the
107
impacts of marketing factors mix altogether (on respondents’ overall satisfactions)
had in respondents’ perceptions; exceptionally, these inferentially analytical results
mirrored there was a significantly proportional relation between those Sino
respondents’ perceptions towards impacts of products or promotions (on respondents’
overall satisfactions) and those surveyed viewers’ GO in DU; on the side, there was
an insignificantly positive correlative relation between those Chinese surveyed movie
spectators’ perceptions towards impacts of prices (on respondents’ overall
satisfactions) and those surveyed audiences’ GO in DU; otherwise, there was also an
insignificantly inverse relation between those Sino respondents’ perceptions towards
the impacts of places (on respondents’ general satisfactions) and those respondents’
GO in DU. Strictly speaking, decision utility is defined as follows: ―The weight that is
assigned to the desirability of an outcome in the context of a decision is called its
decision utility. Decision utilities are inferred from choices and are used to explain
choices‖ (Kontek, 2010). Therefore, if the researcher used this definition of DU to
expound why those respondents’ perceptions towards the impacts of products and
promotions (on respondents’ general satisfactions) significantly influenced those Sino
respondents’ GO in DU, the researcher might contended that products, namely the
film, especially the contents of the film, and promotions, namely various promotional
tools & measures (including various ads in print media or electronic & digital media,
teasers, trailers, billboards & posters) hinted some contexts in regards to certain
considerable options in real life were desirable or revelatory, that maybe deeply and
108
clearly impressed vast audiences. But prices and places seemingly had no concerns
with DU, so it’s quite hard to imagine how the impacts of prices and places (on
respondents’ general satisfactions) significantly influenced those Sino surveyed
audiences’ GO in DU. Thus it is easily understood why the impacts of prices merely
played an insignificantly negative influences on those respondents’ GO in DU.
However, as places of distributions more significantly influenced respondents’ overall
satisfactions, in reverse, did these influences of places in respondents’ perceptions
more insignificantly influence those respondents’ GO in DU? That is to say, for an
instance, as audiences were more satisfied with the conveniences and comforts of the
cinema where they watched the film, were they more uneasy to comprehend
desirability of decidable (optional) contexts in the plots of the movies and relevant
commercials and to be gratified in decision utility? It was an elusive problem left
awaited interpreting by dint of persuasive reasons.
Hypothesis 1.2.3 Chinese respondents’ perceptions towards the influences
of marketing factors mix (4Ps) of the film ―Dying to Survive‖ (on respondents’
integral satisfactions) significantly influence their gratifications obtained in respect of
entertainment from watching the film ―Dying to Survive.‖
The influences of all marketing mix factors can significantly affect
Chinese respondents’ gratifications obtained in respect to entertainment from
watching the film ―Dying to Survive‖ (F(4,203)=56.276**, p< 0.05). When
examining influences of each factor in the Coefficient table, the findings revealed that
109
impacts of products are a significant predictor of entertainment from watching the
film (Beta=.384**, p<.05), however, followed by influences of promotions
(Beta=.079, p>.05), influences of places (Beta=.084, p>.05), and influences of prices
(Beta=-.018, p>.05), respectively. The findings suggested that influences of 4Ps if
integrated together will significantly affect their gratifications obtained for
entertainment, and impacts of products are the significant predictor of their
gratifications obtained decision utility from watching the film ―Dying to Survive.‖
However, they perceived that influences of price had negative effects on their
gratifications obtained for entertainment.
Factually, the researcher reckoned that the entertainment elements of the
film ―Dying to Survive‖ are somewhat finite, so slightly limited entertainment
elements reflected in this film such as a few comedic (humorous) ingredients and
dramatic scenarios was exceedingly attractive for most viewers, which organically
harmonized with partially weighty and plodding plots of the film. So testing results
about the impacts of products (on respondents’ overall satisfactions) conformed to the
reality of the film. Nonetheless, there was an insignificantly inverse relation between
the impacts of prices (on respondents’ overall satisfactions) and respondents’
gratifications in entertainments. This relation displayed if respondents more perceived
that prices significantly influenced their general satisfactions with the film, this
influences of factors about prices more hardly swayed respondents’ gratifications in
entertainment. That is to say, the ticket price of the film was more economical to some
110
degree, audiences more difficultly tasted gratifications in entertainment, so the
researcher has to interpret this case as that Sino respondents tended to think that too
economical (cheap) ticket prices for a film couldn’t gratify them in entertainment
instead.
Hypothesis 1.2.4 Chinese respondents’ perceptions toward the impacts of
marketing factors mix (4Ps) of the film ―Dying to Survive‖ (on respondents’ integral
satisfactions) significantly influence their gratifications obtained in respect of
interpersonal utility from watching the film ―Dying to Survive.‖
The influences of all marketing mix factors can significantly affect
Chinese respondents’ gratifications obtained in respect to interpersonal utility from
watching the film ―Dying to Survive‖ (F(4,203)=69.634**, p<0.05). When examining
influences of each factor in the Coefficient table, the findings revealed that impacts of
products are a significant predictor of interpersonal utility from watching the film
(Beta=.332**, p<.05), however, followed by influences of promotions (Beta=.135,
p>.05), influences of places (Beta=.057, p>.05), and influences of prices (Beta=-.029,
p>.05), respectively. The findings suggested that influences of 4Ps if integrated
together will significantly sway their gratifications obtained for interpersonal utility
and impacts of products are the significant predictor of their gratifications obtained
interpersonal utility from watching the film ―Dying to Survive.‖ However, they
perceived that influences of prices had a negative effect on their gratifications
obtained for interpersonal utility.
111
Then what is IU (interpersonal utility)? Interpersonal utility is aka. Interpersonal
Utility Comparison, which is a crucial concept of social choice theory. Wikipedia
defines and explains it as ―Social choice theory depends upon the ability to aggregate,
or sum up, individual preferences into a combined social welfare function. Individual
preference can be modeled in terms of an economic utility function. The ability to
sum utility functions of different individuals depends on the utility functions being
comparable to each other; informally, individuals' preferences must be measured with
the same yardstick. Then the ability to create a social welfare function depends
crucially on the ability to compare utility functions. This is called interpersonal utility
comparison‖. As we know, a movie might exhibit a few interpersonal utilities that
may be varying for different persons and throngs via its contents (themes, plots,
stories & lines); even though for an individual viewer, it still may show multifold
interpersonal utilities through its contents. Thus, undoubtedly, impacts of products (on
respondents’ integral satisfactions) were destined to have an overriding influence on
respondents’ gratifications in interpersonal utilities. Otherwise, there were also an
insignificantly inverse relation existing between impacts of prices and respondents’
GO in IU. It signified that if respondents got more satisfied with the ticket prices, it
would be harder for respondents to come into being gratifications in IU, thus as if it
further implied that surveyed audiences could make light of the film’s contents
perhaps due to relatively lower cinema ticket prices, so that this prejudice hindered
those respondents from realizing and appreciating and exploiting IU hidden in the
112
film and applicable to daily intercourses and cooperation.
Hypothesis 1.2.5 Chinese respondents’ perceptions toward the impacts of
marketing factors mix (4Ps) of the film ―Dying to Survive‖ (on respondents’ integral
satisfactions) significantly influence their gratifications obtained in respect para-social
interaction from watching the film ―Dying to Survive.‖
The finding revealed that the impacts of marketing mix factors (on
respondents’ integral satisfactions) can significantly influence Chinese respondents’
gratifications obtained in respect to para-social interaction from watching the film
―Dying to Survive‖ (F(4,203)=85.987**, p<0.05). When examining influences of
each factor in the Coefficient table, the findings revealed that impacts of products
(Beta=.330**, p<.05) and impacts of promotions (Beta=.157**, p<.05) are significant
predictors of para-social interaction from watching the film (Beta=330**, p<.05),
however, followed by influences of prices (Beta=.084, p>.05) and influences of places
(Beta=-.022, p>.05) are not significant predictors. The findings suggested that
influences of 4Ps if integrated together will significantly sway their gratifications
obtained for para-social interaction, and influences of products and promotions
individually are the significant predictors of their gratifications obtained in para-social
interaction from watching the film ―Dying to Survive.‖ However, they perceived that
influences of places had insignificantly negative effects on their gratifications
obtained for para-social interaction.
Para-social interaction is defined as a sort of psychological relationship
113
undergone by an audience in their conciliatory encounters with artists in the mass
medium, specifically on TV follows (Horton & Wohl, 1956). Spectators or audients
come to imagine media personages as friends, despite having finite interactions with
them. PSI is depicted as an illusory experience, such that media consumers interact
with personas (e.g., talk show host, celebrities, fictional figures, social media
influencers) as if they are involved in a reciprocal connection with them. In this study,
merely the film per se (media products) and relevant teasers, trailers, synopses, and
commercials (promotional media vehicles) possess potentials to impose phantasms of
PSI on those surveyed watchers in domains of bottommost marketing mix (4Ps).
Therefore, the testing results as regards products and promotions exactly lived up to
certain anticipations of the Chinese viewers; moreover, the researcher reckoned that
testing result with reference to prices was fairly reasonable and true on some factual
basis that people can take into considerations. In regards to the statistically inferential
result in respect to places of distributions, there was also an insignificantly inverse
relation between impacts of places (on respondents’ overall satisfactions) in
respondents’ perceptions and their GO in IU. This purported that respondents more
perceived that places of distributions definitely affected their overall satisfactions with
this movie, they more difficultly obtained gratifications in PSI.
5.3 Conclusions of Research
This study centers on marketing communications and gratifications obtained
114
rather than professionally cinematic knowledge & theories, although it is closely
related to movie and mainly focus on Chinese audiences’ perceptions towards impacts
of marketing mix on their overall satisfactions with a Sino fictional film named
―Dying to Survive‖ and their 5-dimensional obtained gratifications from viewing the
film including general information seeking, decisional utility, entertainment,
interpersonal utility, & para-social interaction.
Through this research, undisputedly, the researcher can conclude that 1) Sino
movie spectators’ perceptions towards impacts of marketing factors mix on their
holistic satisfactions with a film they have viewed in cinema at least once
significantly affirmatively influenced their holistic 5-dimensional & each-dimensional
gratifications obtained from watching the film; 2) Chinese moviegoers perceive that
influences of products on their general satisfactions with a film they have watched in
cinema at lowest once significantly positively affected their overall 5-dimensional &
per-dimensional gratifications obtained from viewing the movie; 3) Impacts of
promotions on Chinese audiences’ overall satisfactions with a film in those audiences’
outlooks significantly positively influenced their gratifications obtained in decisional
utility and para-social interaction other than the three other dimensions from watching
the film; 4) Impacts of places on Sino movie viewers’ integral satisfactions with a
movie in those viewers’ perspectives insignificantly played adverse influences on
their gratifications obtained in decisional utility and para-social interaction, and
positive influences on their gratifications obtained in the three other dimensions; 5).
115
Influences of prices on Sinitic audiences’ global satisfactions with a film in those
audiences’ cognitions insignificantly exerted negative effects on their gratifications
obtained in entertainment and interpersonal utility, and positive consequences on their
gratification obtained in the three other dimensions.
Pondering upon aforementioned 5 basic conclusions prudentially, we may
deduce out 1) the principally intrinsic reason that why influences of marketing factors
mix altogether (on Chinese audiences’ overall satisfactions) significantly positively
sway Sino moviegoers’ 5-dimensional GO is that impacts of products per se (on
Chinese audiences’ general satisfactions) can significantly positively affect Sino
movie spectators’ 5-dimensional GO, bonding Conclusion 1 with Conclusion 2; 2)
impacts of promotions (on Sino moviegoers’ holistic satisfactions) that merely can
significantly positively influence Chinese movie viewers’ GO in decisional utility and
para-social interaction (Conclusion 3) played an auxiliary and minor role on
Conclusion 1; 3) Just because Conclusions 4 & 5 proclaimed that influences of prices
and places (on Sino movie viewers’ general satisfactions) insignificantly played either
positive or negative effects on Chinese audiences’ GO in some certain dimensions, the
two conclusions reminded us that these trivially positive or negative effects can’t play
decisive roles on the statistically analytical results regarding the overall hypothesis
(H1.1) at all. These conclusions coincide with the classic words that are ―contents is
the king.‖; in other words, the results of the hypothetical testing reflected that factors
of products essentially exerted most central roles indeed. On balance, some specific
116
contents of the film (the product per se) correspond to most contexts of those 5
dimensions with respects to go including GIS (general information seeking), DU
(decision utility), E (entertainment), IU (interpersonal utility), PSI (para-social
interaction), in the questionnaire, to large extents. Furthermore, the inherent logic in
this reality naturally embodies relationship between marketing mix and go.
Broadly, the findings supported several assumptions of Social Exchange
Theory which posit that humans are rational vitae who quest rewards and avert
punishments (or hurts, expenses); concretely, the findings from Conclusions 2&5
suggested that factors of products (the film per se) instead of those of prices
significantly played dominating effects on audiences’ completely 5-dimensional go in
their perceptions, thus it means that the rewards audiences acquired from this
experience in their perceptions were far more important than their aggregate costs
therefrom. This signified that surveyed Sino viewers undervalued or don’t care about
the ticket prices regardless of how much they were. So realistic monetary costs were
equivalent to lightweights or nothings in those movie spectators’ hearts, whereas what
they thought highly of were what originating from the film gratified their spiritual,
psychological & idealistic needs. Therefore, from angle of SET (Social Exchange
Theory), further, there were almost merely rewards and barely costs caused from
viewing the film in their minds and they can avert unpleasant feelings triggered off by
casually exorbitant ticket prices. Hence, this experience of viewing the feature film
―Dying to Survive‖ for Chinese audiences yet deserves retentions and continuations
117
for a period of time. Per contra, overall, the finding also support the last assumption of
Uses & Gratifications Theory which posit that valuations of media content can only
be evaluated by the viewer; specifically, the findings from Conclusion 2 suggested the
relationship between how audiences perceived whether every elements of the film
(product) significantly influenced their general satisfactions and their obtained all and
each of 5-dimensional gratifications that mostly derived from the contents of film, so
it obviously revealed the IVs & DVs both linked with viewers’ subjective valuations
of media contents and the two variables associated with each other. From this point,
the researcher can infer that media contents are mainly used to serve audiences so that
audiences are automatically endowed adequate rights to evaluate them, thus only
audiences had better and can often introspect, check and assess if themselves’
valuations of media contents were accurate or righteous. Ultimately, the inference
based on Conclusion2 backs up the last assumption of UGT.
5.4 Limitations of Study
There are a few limitations in this study, which are not permitted as be
negligent. The researcher will enumerate several primary limitations of this research:
5.4.1 Respondents’ spare time for filling the questionnaire tended to be
limited, so this compelled them to finish responding to the questionnaire as soon as
possible thereby enabling them to generate a rush into finalizing the survey activity.
Thus respondents mustn’t discern or comprehend every question thoroughly in haste,
118
so their responses won’t always mirror their actual perceptions or cognitions to some
extents.
5.4.2 The study only introduced the concept of 5-dimensional GO
(Gratification Obtained) as dependent variables (DV), actually, identically
5-dimensional GS (Gratifications Sought) & GO (Gratification Obtained) are a pair of
concepts as though a twins, which were evolved from the highly controversial theory
of Uses and Gratifications (U&S). Their distinctions and associations are that ―GS
represent motives for media exposure and are based on expectations about media
content, whereas GO, on the other hand, are perceived personal outcomes; they are,
therefore, sensitive to media contents and feedbacks to influence content expectations.‖
Notwithstanding enormous researchers adopted stereotyped GS-GO scales to examine
the relationships between GS from TV news and the homologous GO items for
most-viewed & least-viewed news programs (Palmgreen, Wenner & Rayburn, 1980),
the GS-GO scales could be also employed in multifarious programs on other types of
media in addition to TV not excluding movies. But the researcher didn’t bring the
concept of 5-dimensional GS as an independent variable or a dependent variable into
the study, so it seems that readers couldn’t be aware of what respondents expected
(which dimensions respondents sought gratifications in) from the film in advance and
whether what they expected would be gratified only via introducing and testing GO of
respondents. If omitting relevant researches on GS of respondents was regarded as ―a
limitation‖, the researcher had mulled over this viewpoint and confirmed it as an
119
inconsequential limitation. The researcher hadn’t employed this entire GS-GO scales
to set up relevant researchable variables relations indeed, because potential surveyed
spectators probably hadn’t always clearly remembered their original expectations or
motives for formerly watching the film; in the other hand, despite the GS-GO scales
usually refer to the factors of products (contents of news, movies, & other
consumptive programs released on varieties of media) in marketing mix and are
seemingly more intact than detached GO scale, even the researcher could also
construct fire-new variable relationships involving marketing mix and complete
GS-GO scales, the researcher would have to spend more vigor, time and money to
design a different & lengthier questionnaire including more than three parts and
collect fussier and more volume data to research on mentalities of respondents before
and after watching the film surrounding marketing mix and GS-GO scales. However,
GS of respondents tends to be pointless and useless for the researcher; instead, the
study results of respondents’ ultimate mentalities after viewing the film—only related
to general satisfactions & GO in 5 dimensions are genuinely meaningful and needful
for the researcher.
5.4.3 If the researcher had used both quantitative (questionnaire survey &
SPSS statistically analysis) and qualitative instruments (interviews and purely verbal
descriptive analysis) to make this research on cinematic marketing communication
and gratifications of media consumptions, the researcher perhaps would have acquired
more elaborate and persuasive information or data. Nevertheless, the researcher didn’t
120
employ a qualitative methodology combined with a quantitative one owing to lack of
corresponding conditions and experiences (inadequate time and money, devoid of
appropriate volunteering interviewees and interview venues, scarcity of practical
interview experiences, no assistants, etc.).
5.5 Recommendations for Future Applications
5.5.1 Now that audiences’ perceptions towards impacts of marketing mix on
their general satisfactions significantly influenced their 5-dimensional GO, especially
because core influences of products in marketing mix on their overall satisfactions in
audiences’ perceptions played a most significantly positive effects on their
5-dimensional GO, future students or scholars may directly and extensively apply
these conclusions in brand-new relevant communication researches on films and
viewers’ GS-GO scales. Because if future students or scholars could employ these
tested conclusions without any hesitations in their researches, this action may be
conducive to finalizing their researches more efficiently and acquiring larger
achievements in communication researches on movies.
5.5.2 The researcher concluded that respondents had perceived that
influences of promotions (on their overall satisfactions) played a significantly positive
effect on their GO in DU & PSI. However, notably, future students & scholars only
may apply this conclusion to relatively finite contexts in communication researches
on marketing mix & GS-GO scales compared with the first conclusion.
121
5.5.3 Although influences of places and prices on moviegoers’ global
satisfactions in their perspectives possibly exerted unimportantly negative or positive
effects on their GO in integrant dimensions, prospective researchers not only should
realize the weak effects of places & prices on viewers’ holistic satisfactions, but also
not ought to disdain these insignificant roles (on spectators’ general contentment) that
impacts of places and prices exerted, for the reason that factors of places and prices in
their perceptions don’t always insignificantly influence audiences’ GS or GO in
certain dimensions in researches on marketing mix & GS-GO scales. Thus they ought
to closely pay attentions to conversions of IVs and DVs in this type of researches.
5.6 Recommendations for Future Researches
5.6.1 If posterior researchers would have adequate conditions and abilities to
initiate both qualitative and quantitative researches on marketing communications,
artistic communications, digital media communications, corporate communications
and GS-GO scale, they’d better embark upon this type of researches well, because this
research achievements are more cogent, constructive and ample than fully quantitative
or qualitative researches’. The findings will then enrich audience’s personal
expectations of films and their satisfactions on how they make use of the film contents
in their personal life. The findings will certainly increase the equity of film, which
will lead to the rise of the film industry in the future.
5.6.2 Futuristic researchers might try to do a bran-new case study for a
122
different feature film in regards to marketing mix and traditional GS-GO scale as well.
Furthermore, they may research on surveyed audiences’ mentalities or psychologies
before and after viewing this film. Additionally, they may set forth three hypotheses,
that are 1) Marketing factors mix of this film significantly influence surveyed movie
spectators’ 5-dimensional gratifications sought before viewing the film; 2) Surveyed
viewers’ 5-dimensional gratifications sought before viewing the film significantly
influences their 5-dimensional gratifications obtained after watching the film; 3)
Marketing factors mix of this film significantly influence their 5-dimensional
gratifications obtained after watching the film.
5.6.3 Future researchers might compare impacts of filmic marketing factors
on popularity of a film such as comparing Sino movies and American movies. The
knowledge might be beneficial to film productions.
5.6.4 Future researchers should examine gratifications sought and
gratifications obtained for a film to explain whether the film can meet or cope up
expectations from the film or not, and may also investigate influences of personal
characteristics and psychological factors of viewers on gratifications sought and
gratifications obtained from the film, because these factors might be crucial ones in
influencing their needs or gratifications about the film.
5.6.5 Future research might increase the film equity or value of film in
shaping people’s life instead of just viewing for entertainment only. Film can be trend
setter that could predict people’s life in the future.
123
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Botha, K., Viviers, P., & Jordaan, J. (2016). A comparative analysis of the ticket
purchase behavior of live theatre attendees versus film theatre attendees,
African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure, 5(3), 1-22.
Cao, T. (2016). The influence of Chinese Kung Fu film on Hollywood film.
Unpublished master’s independent study, Bangkok University, Bangkok,
Thailand.
Cheng, T. (2014). Public relations and promotion in film: How it’s done and why it’s
important. Unpublished master’s thesis, Syracuse University Honors, New
York.
George, D., & Mallery, P. (2003). SPSS for Windows step by step: A simple guide
and reference 11.0 update (4th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Grove, E. (2013). 16 big marketing ideas for filmmakers on a small budget.
Retrieved from https://www.raindance.org/16-big-marketing-ideas-for-
filmmakers-on-a-small-budget/.
Homans, G. C. (1958). Social behavior as exchange. American Journal of
Sociology, 63(6), 597-606.
Horton, D., & Wohl, R. R. (1956). Mass communication and para-social interaction.
Psychiatry. Journal for the Study of Interpersonal Processes, 19, 215-229.
Horvath, A., & Gyenge, B. (2015). Consumption habits regarding movies.
International Journal of Synergy and Research, 4(2) 43-51.
Iacobucci, D., Shannon, R., & Grigoriou, N. (2015). Marketing management in Asia,
Singapore: Cengage Learning.
124
Jockel, S., & Dobler, T. (2009). The event movie: Marketing filmed entertainment
for transnational media corporations. International Journal on Media
Management, 8(2), 84-91.
Katz, E., Blumler, J. G., & Gurevitch, M. (1974). Uses and gratifications research.
Public Opinion Quarterly, 37(4), 509-523.
Kehoe, K., & Mateer, J. (2015). The impact of digital technology on the distribution
value chain model of independent feature films in the UK. International
Journal on Media Management, 17(2), 93-108.
Keller, K, L. (2013). Strategic brand management: Building, measuring, and
management brand equity (4thed.). London: Pearson.
Kontek, K. (2010). Decision utility theory: Back to von Neumann, Morgenstern and
Markowitz. Retrieved from https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/27141/1/
Decision _Utility_Theory.pdf.
Lasut, F. F., & Tumuwu, F. (2015). Customer decision making in selecting cinema
using analytical hierarchy process (AHP) method (Case study: Mantos 21,
Megamall xxi, Cinema xx). Jurnal Berkala Ilmiah Efisiensi, 15(4), 322-331.
McCarthy, E. J. (1960). Basic marketing: A managerial approach. Homewood: R.
D. Irwin.
Mohammadian, M, & Habibi, E, S. (2012). The impact of marketing mix on
attracting audiences to the cinema. International Business and
Management, 5(1), 99-106.
Mukherjee-Das, M. (2013). Innovation in public relation strategies in film
promotion-a study. Global Journal of Management and Business Studies,
3(6), 619-624.
125
Palmgreen, P., Wenner, L. A., & Rayburn, J. D. (1980). Relations between
gratifications sought and obtained: A study of television news.
Communication Research, 7(2), 161-192.
Penthey, J, R. (2015). The influence of movie reviews on consumers. Unpublished
master’s thesis, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire.
Suwarto, D. S. (2012). Identifying key factors affecting consumer decision making
behavior in cinema context: A qualitative approach. In The 2012
International Conference on Contemporary Business and Management (pp.
392-417). Bangkok, Thailand: Chulalongkorn University.
Tangtienchai, G. (2015). A study of the factors influencing purchase decision of
ready to drink green tea in Bangkok. Unpublished master’s independent
study, Bangkok University, Thailand.
Taylor, M. (2019). 17 inspiring marketing strategies for your film or TV show.
Retrieved from https://www.ventureharbour.com/ultimate-guide-marketing-
films-tv-shows-online/.
Thibaut, J. W., & Kelley, H. H. (1959). The social psychology of groups. Oxford,
England: John Wiley.
Wilcox, B. (2012). Current trends in the marketing and promotion of movies using
social media. Unpublished master’s thesis, California Polytechnic State
University, California, United States.
Xu, P. (2014). Interpreting film marketing in the new media era: Taking the fiction
film “To our lost youth” . Art Science and Technology, 398-404.
126
APPENDIX
127
Appendix (English Version)
A Questionnaire for a Case Study of the Sino Film “Dying to Survive (2018)” (ICA
701)
This questionnaire is designed to research on the impacts of the most primary
marketable factors (4Ps) mix on the moviegoers’ obtained gratification after viewing
the film “Dying to Survive” (2018) in cinema at least once. Therefore, the most
important premise of being allowed to answer the questionnaire is that all of
respondents must be movie viewers who had ever watched the story film “Dying to
Survive” at lowest once; next, the second prerequisite of being permitted to
participating in this survey is that every respondents must be inhabitants living in
three largest Sino metropolis including Beijing, Shanghai & Guangzhou, equal to or
elder than 20 years old. Please respondents honestly and responsibly answer the
questionnaire in accordance with everyone’s individual ever realistic experiences and
feelings about watching the Chinese feature movie “Dying to Survive”. You will make
answers by anonymous form. The questionnaire is separated into three parts:
Section Ⅰ: Inquiring the demographic information of the surveyed movie
spectators who must have ever viewed the film “Dying to Survive” at least once and
come from three Sino largest metropolis including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou
merely.
Section Ⅱ: Examining the influence of marketing mix factors (4Ps) on the
media gratification of the film “Dying to Survive”.
Section Ⅲ: Surveying the obtained gratification of every moviegoer who has
ever watched the film in cinema at least once.
Thank you cordially for your cooperation!
Mr. Bai Chen (Alex)
11 Feb 2019
Email Address: [email protected]
128
Section Ⅰ: Inquiring the demographic information of the surveyed movie spectators
who must have ever viewed the Chinese film “Dying to Survive” at least once before
and come from three Sino largest metropolis including Beijing, Shanghai and
Guangzhou merely.
Instructions: Please you read the following questions about your basic information
and mark √ in □ that best matches your answer.
1. Gender.
□ 1) Male □ 2) Female
2. Age.
□ 1) 20-24 years old
□ 2) 25-29 years old
□ 3) 30-34 years old
□ 4) 35-39 years old
□ 5) 40-44 years old
□ 6) More than 44 years old
3. Which Chinese city did you come from?
□ 1) Beijing □ 2) Shanghai □ 3) Guangzhou
SectionⅡ: Examining the influence of marketing mix factors (4Ps) on the media
gratifications of the film “Dying to Survive”.
This section aims to examine your opinion on the influence of marketing mix
factors, including the quality of the film, price, place of distribution, and promotion of
the film on your gratification of the film, according to the degree of influence,
arranging from 5 “highest influence,” 4 “high influence,” 3 “medium influence,” 2
“low influence,” to l “lowest influence.”
129
The influence of marketing factors mix on the
media gratification of the film “Dying to Survive”
(5)
(4)
(3)
(2)
(1)
1. Products- Film Quality
1) Content Quality
- Plots
- Actors/Actresses’ Lines or Voiceovers
- Acting Skills
- Cultural & Spiritual Values Portrayed in the
Film
- Resonances with one’s Personal Experience
2) Technological Levels
- Editing Aspects
- Visual Special Effects
- Digital Sounds/Dynamic Effects, Music &
Synthesis of Recording
3) Artistic Styles of the Film
4) Recognitions of Directors
5) Recognitions of Producers
6) Participations of Celebrity Performers, i.e., Xu
Zheng, Tan Zhuo, etc.
2. Prices
1) Special Discounts 50% Tickets Discounts)
2) Unified & Settled Ticket Price Set by Cinema
Lines (in Minority of Countries & Regions)
3) The prices of the tickets were reasonable to
your incomes.
3. Places of Distributions
1) Conveniences of Theatre that Showed the Film
2) Locations of Theatres
130
The influence of marketing factors mix on the
media gratification of the film “Dying to Survive”
(5)
(4)
(3)
(2)
(1)
4. Promotions
1) Associated Teasers & Ads Online
2) Trailers & Plot Synopsis on Relevant Film
Websites
3) Promotional Movie Reviews & WOM (Public
Praise) Online
4) Online or Offline Gossip News Intentionally
Propagated by Marketing Sides
5) Public Posters/Billboards Outdoors or in
Cinemas
6) Print Publicities in Newspapers, Tabloids, &
Magazines (Mainly Refer to Entertainments,
Media, Film Arts)
7) Television Commercials & Trailers on TV &
Radio
8) Outdoor and Indoor Ads Appeared Public
Transportations
9) Non-promotionally Scholastic & Non-scholastic
Filmic Reviews & Scores Online or Offline (But
Playing Sale Roles Objectively)
131
Section Ⅲ: Surveying the obtained gratification of every moviegoer who has watched
the film in cinema at least once.
(5) Strongly Agree (4) Agree (3) Slightly Agree nor Disagree (2) Disagree (1)
Strongly Disagree
Chinese Audience’s Gratifications Obtained after
Watching the Film “Dying to Survive”
(5)
(4)
(3)
(2)
(1)
1. General Information Seeking
1) The film enabled me to keep up with current
issues and events.
2) The film made me unsurprised with
unexpected things around me.
3) The film gave me the information I can trust.
2. Decisional Utility
4) The film enabled me to find out what kinds of
job our cops in police stations are doing.
5) The film reminded of me paying attentions to
the issues of Chinese medical and legal systems.
6) The film revealed about social issues affecting
people like myself.
3. Entertainment
7) The film is often entertaining.
8) The film is often dramatic.
9) The film is fairly exciting.
132
Chinese Audience’s Gratifications Obtained after
Watching the Film “Dying to Survive”
(5)
(4)
(3)
(2)
(1)
4. Interpersonal Utility
10) The film supports my own viewpoints rather
than other persons’.
11) The film enabled me to transmit some
valuable information to other persons.
12) The film provided me interesting contents to
talk about with other people.
5. Parasocial Interaction
13) The performers in the film can portray the
roles’ human quality.
14) The film offered me to compare my own
ideas with other people’.
15) The performers in the film are like people I
know in my life.
Thank you for genuine participation in this online survey!
133
Appendix (Chinese Version)
关于中国电影《我不是药神》的调查问卷
这份调查问卷被设计用来研究首要的营销因素(4Ps)对在电影院里观看过
中国电影《我不是药神》的观众从中获得的满意度的影响力。因此,被允许作
答这份调查问卷的最重要的前提是所有的作答者至少曾在电影院里观看过这部
叙事电影一次;第二个必要前提是每一个作答者必须定居在中国最大的三座城
市北京,上海和广州, 且年龄至少在20岁。请作答者诚实、负责地根据个人曾经
观看中国叙事电影《我不是药神》的真实经历和感受回答。你们将以匿名形式
作答。这份调查问卷分成三个部分:
第一部分:询问被调查者的个人信息,该人至少观影一次,且只来自北
京、上海和广州三个最大的中国城市 第二部分:检验组合营销因素对电影《我
不是药神》的媒体满意度的影响力。第三部分:调查每一名至少在电影院里观
看过一遍这部电影的受调查者的满意度。
诚挚地感谢你们的合作!!
调查者姓名:白宸
日期:2019年2月11日
邮箱地址:
134
第一部分:询问被调查者的个人信息,该人至少观影一次,且只来自北京、上
海、广
州三个最大的中国城市。
提示: 请你阅读下面关于你个人基本信息的问题,并在最匹配你的答案的“□”里
划 “√”。
1. 性别。
□ 1).男性。
□ 2).女性
2. 年龄。
□ 1) 20至24岁。
□ 2) 25至29岁。
□ 3) 30至34岁。
□ 4) 35至39岁。
□ 5) 40至44岁。
□ 6) 大于44岁。
3.你来自哪个中国城市?
□ 1) 北京
□ 2)上海
□ 3) 广州
135
第二部分:检验组合营销因素对观看电影《我不是药神》满意度的影响力。
提示:这一部分旨在检验你针对组合营销因素(包括影片质量,票价,放映地
点,影片的推广,即4Ps.)在你观影满意度影响力的看法, 且根据影响力从强到
弱程度的次序安排五个评分选项 (等级):5.最强的影响力;4.强的影响力;3.中
等影响力;2.弱的影响力;1.最弱的影响力。
你对组合营销因素(4Ps)在电影《我不是
药神》满意度影响力的看法。
(5)
(4)
(3)
(2)
(1)
1. 产品(影片)的质量
1). 内容的质量
a. 故事情节
b. 演员们的台词和剧中旁白
c. 演员演技
d. 片中的文化与精神价值
e. 与你个人经历的共鸣
2) 技术水平
a. 剪辑方面
b. 视觉特效
c. 数字化音响/动态效果,配乐和录音合成
3) 电影的艺术风格
4) 对导演的认可度
5) 对制片人的认可度
136
你对组合营销因素(4Ps)在电影《我不是
药神》满意度影响力的看法。
(5)
(4)
(3)
(2)
(1)
6) 明星演员(如徐峥、谭卓等)的票房号
召力
2. 票价
1) 特殊折扣价(如半价优惠)
2) 电影院线设置的统一或固定票价
3) 票价对于你收入的合理性。
3. 发行放映地点
1) 公映该影片影院的便利性
2) 公映该影片影院的位置
4. 影片的推广
1) 网上相关的预热广告和正式广告
2) 相关网站上的预告片和剧情概要
3) 网上促销的电影评论和口口相传(的口
碑)
4) 营销方有意散播的线上或线下的八卦新
闻
5) 户外的和影院内部的海报和广告牌
137
你对组合营销因素(4Ps)在电影《我不是
药神》满意度影响力的看法。
(5)
(4)
(3)
(2)
(1)
6) 娱乐、媒体、影视艺术方面的报纸、小
报和杂志
7) 电视和广播播放的商业广告和预告片
8) 公共交通工具内部和外部呈现的广告
9)(线上或线下的)非促销性学术或非学
术的电影评论与积分
第三部分:调查每一名至少在电影院里观看过一遍该电影的受访者的满意度。
(5)强烈地同意(4)同意(3)不确定(2)不同意(1)强烈地不同意
观众在观看过《我不是药神》后的满意度 (5) (4) (3) (2) (1)
1. 总体信息寻求
1) 这部电影能使我跟上当下社会重要议题
和事件的发展。
2) 这部电影使我对周围发生的意外事情不
感到惊讶。
3) 这部电影传达给我能相信的信息。
138
观众在观看过《我不是药神》后的满意度 (5) (4) (3) (2) (1)
2. 决策效应
4) 这部电影能使我发现我们的警官们正在
做什么。
5) 这部电影提醒我关注中国医疗和法律系
统的问题。
6) 本片揭示出的社会问题影响着像我一样
的人们。
3. 娱乐性
7) 这部电影通常令人愉悦。
8) 这部电影通常扣人心弦。
9) 这部电影相当令人激动。
4. 人际交往工具
10) 这部电影支持我的而非他人的观点。
11) 这部电影能使我把有价值的信息传达给
其他人。
12) 本片提供给我与他人谈论的感兴趣的内
容。
139
观众在观看过《我不是药神》后的满意度 (5) (4) (3) (2) (1)
5. 准社会的互动
13) 本片演员们能刻画出角色的人物特性。
14) 本片供我对自己与他人的想法作出比
较。
15) 片中演员像我生活中认识的人。
谢谢你在本次网络调查中真诚地参与!!
140
BIODATA
Given Name-Surname: Chen Bai
English Given Name: Alexander
Address: 4004/45 Rama 4 Road, Phra Khanong
Klongtoey, Bangkok 10110
Contact Number: 09-3014-4588(Thailand)
135-213-995-23(China)
E-mail: [email protected]
Educational Background: Master of Communication Arts, Bangkok
University, Bangkok, Thailand. Major: Global
Communication.
Work Experience: July, 2011 to July, 2016
Beijing, Yi yuan feng ying Cultural
Communication Co. Ltd., Film and Television
Department, Commissioning Editor.